Matters of The Heart
by ThePenandtheSword
Summary: 7 NOV 2011 - TOTAL REVISION IN PROCESS. Details and updates are in my profile. New story is quite a bit different from this old one to the point readers may not recognize it. Timeline: OoT/MM - TMC/OoS/OoA THIS VERSION ON PERMANENT HIATUS.
1. Flesh of My Flesh: The Ultimate Betrayal

**NOT THE REVISED VERSION! I'VE JUST TAKEN OUT THE AUTHORESS COMMENTS. TO NEW READERS, HIT UP MY PROFILE AND FIND OUT WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THIS STORY!**

**TITLE:** "Matters of the Heart"

**RATING:** "T" for "teen".

**CONTENT WARNING(S):** Mild Language, Character Death, OCs, Slight OOCness (Vaati), Mild to Graphic Violence, Fantasy Violence, Comic Mischief, and a few Romantic Situations (a little Fluff, too). Possible other stuff, too, but I'll have to think on it.

**DISCLAIMER:** All Zelda characters, realms, and items (c) Nintendo. I only own my OC Brittany and parts of my plot I've woven together with some plots in both the games and the manga. Zelda manga and its characters (c) A. Himegawa. Also, the song "Sorry, Blame It on Me" belongs to Akon-I just like his music (no, not a songfic...you'll see if you read).

**SUMMARY:** _What would you do if you were betrayed by all you knew? When strangers help Brittany escape a certain demise, she finds herself thrown into the realm of Hyrule. Can she help the hero save Farore? And-what this?-villains are helping the heroes? And what has a girl from Earth got to do with all of this? Post-Minish Cap with the plotlines of OoS, OoA, and several other games from the series/manga thrown in._

**CHAPTER ONE**

**"**_Flesh of My Flesh-The Ultimate Betrayal_**"**

It all began with a single sandwich container. You know, one of those little plastic cubes that had been shoved so far to the back of the fridge that, when it finally resurfaced, no one could tell whether its contents was leftover tuna casserole or a box of penicillin that had not quite yet made its way to the pharmacy. Unfortunately, considering that said container and some sour cream was the only things partially edible in the fridge, Brittany didn't have much say-so in the matter. After unceremoniously dropping the mystery lunch, tub and all, in the garbage, she had to be settled with a glass of milk-which, all things considered, wasn't the best breakfast for someone that had to drive through two different states that day.

The brunette sighed to herself. Not once in her entire life did her mother ever make sense. Most of the time growing up, the woman would scream at her over random stuff or merely threaten to ground her if she did not work hard enough. Brittany knew that she could have handled it if those were the only things she ever did, but, alas! that was merely the tip of the iceberg of her familial issues. The maiden shuddered to recall her past. Her mother was not ALL bad-in fact, she was one of the most hard-working women she had ever seen (unlike her father who, until the past couple of years, would just haul himself into the house during the afternoon and fall asleep on the couch-the only reason her kept working late later, as Brittany found out, was to see his mistress). But as long as the girl could remember, it seemed like she had been her mother's stress outlet. It was always 'you're grades are too low' or 'your room is never clean' or-Brittany's personal favorite-'those clothes look _hideous_ on you.'

The young woman sighed. The past few months had been nothing but torture. She had never been able to trust her father with anything even before the incident, because even if she told him about a Christmas present she'd bought for her other parent, he would go and tell her mother right to Brittany's face. She hardly ever saw him since he got in so late anymore, but she did not really mind him being gone so long because she thought he was at work. As it turns out, he HAD been at work-only, instead of doing paperwork, he had been getting it on with a woman in the office beside of him. It nearly jerked the proverbial rug out from under her to find out he had been spending a good portion of their bill money on his mistress, but it was not until he just left that Brittany had found out. Her whole graduation was a mess, with her not knowing whether the one relative would try something or the other would make a scene. But to be stuck with her mother...

Brittany was snapped back to her senses by a horn being blown. She looked up into the rear-view mirror to see about five cars stationed behind her at a green traffic light. She hurriedly pulled out and zipped over to another lane to let the frustrated drivers pass. She let out another sigh. It was hard thinking about her past like that, but when she was on the road things just started coming to her. Deep down, she cursed her mother for making her come pick her up since all road trips did was bring up bad memories.

It had been almost a year since the incident. Brittany could not take the pain she was going through with her family's betrayal-and her mother was certainly no help, because that woman constantly focused on how _she_ had been wronged or how _she_ had all of the bills piled on her. The brunette was positive that had she committed suicide, her mother would have been more concerned about what the neighbors would think than her daughter's own life. That's probably why it didn't surprise her when her mother took her father back. Well, it LOOKED like she took him back, but all that had really happened was that his girlfriend had dumped him and he needed another floozy. Not that mother minded. The woman had worked out her own devious plan to suck as much money out of him as possible before she got rid of him.

One exit, followed by another. Brittany could see the sky in her rear-view mirror turning to a bright orange and pink as the sun began to set over the mountains. _Too bad I don't have my camera with me_, the freshman thought. That was the one of the only joys she had left in this world-her art. As much as she loved to sketch and paint, she had to switch to photography as the school year began to steal her time. For a while, she had taken up dance, too. For years, she had been too afraid to, since her mother was so judgmental about everything she did, but she finally just gave up and started randomly dancing in public. Unfortunately, she injured her knee and now was trying to let it heal back before she could dance again.

That had been a double-blow to her self-esteem. One of her mother's favorite things to demean her about had been the girl's body. She had tried everything she knew how to lose weight-she barely ate, she work-out as much as she could without injuring herself further...nothing seemed to work. She'd gotten a little bit taller and some of the exercise helped burn off some fat, and many of the people she talked (including her own mother later in the divorce) told her about how much slimmer she was getting. Unfortunately, no matter how many times she looked in the mirror, she saw nothing but a hideous blob staring back at her. Sure, her arms were muscled from all of her weights and she could begin the see some of the muscles in her neck showing through. The rest of her body, however, made her stomach churn. Her face was round and squat like a toad's (well, to Brittany it was), and her legs looked like they had been stolen from some poor buffalo. And her stomach...let's not even go there.

Her low self-esteem and her mother's sarcastic comments was probably the reason why she had never believed anyone who told her she was pretty. Anytime a boy asked her out, she thought he was doing it for spite because she was so disgusting to look at and she would wind up running him off. The only time she ever began to feel like she was needed was when she was with _him..._

Brittany had to turn her headlights on now. The road was beginning to fade into the darkness and tendrils of fog were rolling in. Few cars were left on the highway now. How long had she been thinking to herself, anyway? It didn't matter. She would get there when she got there. Her mother would just have to be content with the fact her child could not magically teleport down to the tip of Georgia to pick her up. That's one thing she really could not understand was how her mother had gone from uber-overprotective to making her go through two states alone to pick her up. Her parents had gone on a surprise visit to her uncle's house and the trip had turned sour. Her father had gone off somewhere with another woman, leaving his ex-wife without a ride home. She had called Brittany up in the middle of the night crying and going on about how the whole world was turning against her.

"Neurotic woman..." the girl muttered under her breath.

If it was one thing she didn't like, it was her mother's self-centeredness. She couldn't spend a day with her relatives because her mother would complain about being left out. Everyone apparently was out to get her. They would always say things behind her back. Quite honestly, Brittany felt she deserved it if they did after all of the crap she'd accuse them of doing. Maybe her father took off because he couldn't stand her ranting and raving. He certainly did when he found out mother was leading him on with the marriage proposal just to get his money. Not that that was any excuse for his actions, but the brunette could see where he was coming from. It was just too bad his ex was only going to take out her anger on the girl again. She began making a mental note of which belongings she would have to sell when she got back just to pay the bills.

She hoped that her mother would at least let her keep a few video games. That was her final solace, her video games. Ever since she had been barely big enough to hold a controller, she had found amusement in them. As she got older and the family arguments escalated, she began to use the them as a crutch for the friends her mother wouldn't let her have and the places she never got to go. One of her favorite series was the Legend of Zelda. She could get lost for hours just battling her way through the various dungeons the games relied on. Eventually, when she got brave enough, she began to draw pictures of the characters and make up stories about herself in them, fighting alongside the hero in attempts at restoring peace. She learned a few basic programming skills in hopes that, one day, she could provide a solace to other children like her.

Unfortunately, when her mother found out about what she wanted to do, she threw an all-fired fit. She refused to help pay for the college she wanted to go to, even going so far as to say that she was the reason the woman still had to pay so many bills anyway. She belittled her artwork, called her stories blasphemous and said that as long as she stayed under _her_ roof, the only stories the girl would ever write would be stories about God. She'd been raised that it was weak to cry, but she shed so many before her mother that night. The wretch merely scoffed and told her to stop pouting or she would give her something to cry about.

That liked to have killed her. First her grades, then her fat body...anything would have been better than that! She gladly would have taken it all with a flourish had her mother just accepted her for who she was! But now...she understood why her mother was no longer protective. Controlling, yes-protective, no. Since her mother was now so focused on herself, Brittany had broken off what shred of a tie she had to her mother. She still lived in the same house and wound up doing all of the household chores by herself, but she no longer felt guilt for not being Mother's Perfect Doll. Even though she managed to get into a local university through some scholarships, she relished the day when her basics' year was over and she could set out on her own. She didn't know how she would do it, but she knew her mother was going to kick her out anyway once she found out the girl was going against her wishes.

Nightfall had long passed since she had last looked at her clock. It was already ten o'clock, and she still had quite a ways to go. Not that she minded, of course. The hard part would be when she had to drive back with her mother in tow. The fog was thicker now, but it was still thin enough for her to still see the road in ahead of her.

Her thoughts began drifting back to last year again. She remembered what she had done after her mother had tried to crush her dreams. The first thing she did was go to the one guy she trusted and blurt the whole thing out to him. Well, okay...she didn't mean to tell Jay about it...It just sorta..._**happened**_. She had been friends with him for almost three years. They were nearly inseparable when you got them together. He always be hanging around her in class, teasing her hair and watching her draw. He was the first real friend she ever connected to, and he her. He was forgiving. He was never spiteful to her, even though her would certainly make it clear if something did not agree with him. Most of all, though, he believed in her when she didn't even believe in herself. It should come as no surprise that Brittany developed feelings for the boy.

At first, it was just a simple crush. He would grin at her and, for no apparent reason, butterflies would flutter in her stomach. As the years progressed and the world became harder on both of them, her crush blossomed into absolute love. She cared for him. She would worry when he did not show up for school. Heck, she'd even scold him for not doing his work! But when his mother died, things...changed. She didn't get to see him in school as often-by then, she'd run off anyway after he found out she liked him. Finally, a few days before graduation when her father showed back up and her mother began proceedings for the divorce, Brittany summoned up her courage to give him her number.

She had not expected him to call. Really, she kinda hoped he would throw the number away-if he didn't like her, she did not want to find out. The girl had been hurt enough by the people that she was supposed to love, and any other pain would have destroyed her. Instead, what happened was he called her up and asking her how she was doing with the divorce and everything. Right before their conversation ended, he told her he loved her and she hung up. On the day of graduation, things were a bit out of control and, when she got her first (and only) hug from him, she didn't even get to enjoy it.

It wasn't that she was physically attracted to him. Sure, he was cute, but she had never felt any sort of attraction toward anyone, so she thought it was just normal. She just was extremely attached to him since he was her comfort. That's probably why it hurt so much when he didn't call her again. When one of her other friends found him a few months later, he asked for her number and called Brittany. The moment she heard his voice, her stomach did a flip. The two chatted away for almost an hour about what had happened since they last met.

...Then it happened. The reason _**why**_ he left. She felt time stand still as those words rang in her head. It was as if the sky could have melted down around her and the world cast into hell and she would not have felt more crushed than she did then.

"_I went to get married..._"

Brittany scowled. The accursed fog was getting more difficult to see through by the minute. At this rate, she'd have to pull of somewhere until it passed, but she was praying that she didn't have to. Lord knows how angry her mother already was for her father leaving her a second time, let alone how much more pissed she was going to be if the kid did not hurry. She pressed on, the thick blanket of grey mist enveloping her vehicle and the road beneath it.

Even though Jay said his girlfriend had dumped him and he was still single, the added horror of his ex becoming pregnant with his child about sent her into shock. She couldn't speak to him after that even if he had called again. It made her feel dirty and used to think that he ever loved her in the first place. From that day on, she realized that the only human on earth that would ever truly be there for her would be herself.

So why was she driving so far from her hometown at this late hour? She couldn't answer that. Since yesterday, there had been this horrible feeling in the pit of her gut that something was going to go wrong. The brunette had had similar vibes before-usually before an accident or otherwise traumatic event was about to occur. Considering the woman who raised her, that feeling came around quite a lot. But never, EVER had it been this strong. It was like a giant's hand was wrapped around her chest, the pressure of it all squeezing and crushing the very life out of her. And the further she got toward her destination, the _**worse**_ it felt. She was glad she had taken the time to say good-bye to her friends and a few of her relatives before she left (even if nearly all of them were on answering machines or voicemail...not many of her pals were up at three in the morning).

A few more turns later and some streetlights started to appear. The crushing feeling in her chest got stronger, but she tried to focus on finding the building her mother was staying at. At a red light, she flipped open her phone and help down a number.

"_Hello?_"

"Mom? Where are you at?"

"_Where are _you _at?_"

"The first traffic light in town," Brittany looked out of her window. "I think a see a barbershop on the right. The words 'Clean Cuts' are in written in neon lighting on the window. There's a cross-walk here, but I can't see much else. Darn fog's so thick you could cut it with a knife."

"_Oh, don't I know it._"

"You gonna help me out here, or leave me driving around town all night?"

"_Go on up to 4th Street and take a right_," the woman said. "_Keep going down that road until you get to the Wal-Mart, then take the second road on your left. You should see a warehouse after a few miles_."

"Okay, but where do I find-"

"_Love you_."

_**Beep!**_ Her mother hung up the phone, leaving the bewildered maiden stuck in the middle of a town in the middle of nowhere, looking for a street hidden by the fog. Cursing under her breath, she spooled down the window and leaned out of it to see if she could get a better view. Finally, the fog rolled thin enough for her to make out a sigh that said _4th Street_ on her left. She swung herself back into the vehicle and cranked the window back up as she headed off down another exit. She tried to recall her mother's directions, eventually making it past the supermarket and down the last turnpike, but something was bothering her. The way her mother had cut her of like that-plus, the fact that she wanted Brittany to meet her at a warehouse parking lot rather than her uncle's house, and that she had been using her father's cell phone rather than her own...something just seemed fishy to her. It wasn't until she found the place that she got worried.

Up until then, the pressure beneath her rib cage had been building so hard that she had started to weave from loss of breath. The moment she pulled into the lot, however...the very instant she crossed through those gates...the whole feeling just dissipated. She'd never had one of her vibes to just up and disappear like that. Everything felt so calm...the way she'd seen the land back home get right before a tornado touched down. As she drove to the center of the yard, she saw a streetlamp light burn out.

Her phone began to ring.

_You Can Put The Blame On Me (On Me),_

_You Can Put The Blame On Me (On Me),_

_You Can Put The Blame On-_

"Mom?" Brittany snatched up her cell phone. "Where are you? I'm at the warehouse-where the heck are you?"

"_Brittany, I'm going to need you to turn off the truck and walk back around behind the building."_

"What? Why?"

"_Trust me...There's something very important back here you need to see..._"

Then the woman hung up again. Something was very suspicious about her mother, Brittany knew. She may not have been as protective as used to be, but asking her to do weird stuff like this could be outright DANGEROUS! Why was she even over at a warehouse, anyway? Wasn't her uncle's house on the other side of town? Brittany stepped out of her vehicle and locked the door. Whatever was going on, she had a bad feeling it was not going to end pretty.

The maiden struck off across the parking lot, her steps resounding through the icy air. Even though it was winter, as far south as she was it was still warm enough to have a bitter cold nighttime without the accompaniment of snow. She could hear some traffic off in the distance, but most of the sound had been absorbed by the fog. The young woman made her way around the corner and farther into the darkness. Most of the light was gone now, except for a tiny stream of light from the little flashlight she had brought with her. The side had been blocked of by a tall chain-link fence, and Brittany was about to call her mother to see if she had meant the other side of the building when the illuminated beam landed on a hole in the rusted fence.

Now, it was just _**TOO**_ eerie! Was her mother trying to break into the warehouse or something? Did she have a drug lord back there holding her hostage? Brittany lay down on her back and grabbed hold of the cut links, forcibly sliding herself through the opening to the other side. She dusted herself off, glad that the pavement wasn't too wet with dew to cling to her shirt, and started walking around back.

"Mom?" the girl hollered out. "Mother, where ARE you?"

Brittany headed further into the dark recesses of the back parking lot, weaving through semi-trailer trucks and stacks of crates piled around the area. _A shipping post, most likely_, thought the freshman. It seemed like the lot would go on forever until she heard a voice call out to her.

_You Can Put The Blame On Me (On ME),_

_You Can Put The Blame On Me (On Me)-_

"Mom? Listen," the girl shakily blurted out, "I don't like it back here. If this warehouse has something to do with Dad's new whore-"

"_Oh, no! This has nothing to do with that woman._" the voice creaked out of the phone like the cackle of a witch.

"Then what are you doing back here? And why did you make _**me**_ come back here?"

"_Don't you get it, Brittany?_" the woman sweetly crooned. "_You ARE the reason I am back here!_"

The girl's brow furrowed and she removed the phone from her ear and gawked at it. Had she heard right? The momentary silence brought the receiver back to her mouth.

"What on earth are you talking about, Mom? I didn't pick this area to come pick you up-you did!"

"_Oh, I didn't call you down here to come pick me up, Sweetie. I called you here to help me get rid of what that man did to me._" Now, Brittany was afraid. Her mother was talking so calm, but there was a lilt of excitement raising in her voice. "_You see, I can divorce your father as many times as I want. He can leave and go wherever he damn well pleases without feeling any remorse for what he did to me. But I want him to suffer..._"

Suddenly, Brittany was blinded by a pair of headlights blaring into her eyes.

"Just how do you expect to do that, Mom?" she stared at the beams, her heart pounding in her chest. "Are you supposed to forgive?"

"_You are supposed to _forget, _too, but I can do neither until he has felt the worst pain a man can feel..._"

"What, you're gonna castrate him?"

"_No, my sweet little daughter..._"

Her heart thudded so hard against her ribcage that Brittany feared it might burst.

"...Then what...?"

"_...the __**death **__of a __**child**__. Good-bye, Brittany._"

The girl barely had time to react as the lights headed straight for her. The moment the sound of the tires filled her ears, she took off sprinting underneath a nearby truck. She fell to the ground and rolled out from beneath it just as her mother fish-tailed away from it, one of her break lights slamming into and shattering to pieces as it clipped the side. The feeling in Brittany's chest returned full force and her heart started hammering against the walls of her chest. She scrambled to her feet as she saw the headlights turn and start heading for the aisle between the trucks. She ducked under another truck and another, trying to get away. All the while, her mother swerved and circled around the rigs, her engine revving up and the exhaust flooding the air. The red from her remaining break light shone through the fog, lighting it up like her own personal Hell.

As the truck sped around her, the terrorized girl climbed up the side of one of the trucks and onto the hood. She knew she couldn't stay there for long, because her mother would soon tire of attempting to run her down and probably try to kill her some other way. That maniac had planned it from the start! She knew that making Brittany hurry down there would deprive the girl of sleep. With that and her injured leg, there was little chance her plan would fail. And with all of the time she had to plan this...she was probably sitting at her uncle's table, eating and cavorting, all the while dreaming of her own child's demise!

She had to find a way to escape. Glancing across the parking lot, she saw the gate she had come through. But it was so far away! Even if she did manage to make it to the gate, the time it took for her to slip through the opening again and make it to her truck wouldn't be enough. There just HAD to be another way, but the parking lot was so dark. If her mother didn't catch her in her sights, the beam from her flashlight would give away her position! How could she get out of this...

_What's that?_ Something caught her eye across the lot. She blinked and rubbed her eyes, thinking maybe her lack of sleep was playing tricks on her. But it didn't go away. There was a small ball of red light dancing near the building. Suddenly, her mother's tires squealed against the pavement and headed off toward the light.

_She thinks that's __**me**_the girl thought. She watched as the ball suddenly disappear and her mother careen into a tailspin, just barely missing the warehouse exterior. Suddenly, the light reappeared not so far away from the first sighting. Once again, the vehicle rushed after it, getting close enough for it to disappear and reappear in the same place. The routine continued again and again, leading her mother farther and farther across the lot and away from the gate.

The gate! Brittany struggled to get down from the hood of the rig. It was a clear shot across! She gave a quick glance across the shipping yard and, seeing her mother still preoccupied with the strange little bauble, she sprinted as fast as her legs could carry her back across the lot and to the gate. She had to click her light on for a minute to find the opening, but that was all she needed. She fell to her knees and shoved herself through, not even bothering to dust herself off as she pumped her legs against the asphalt to get away.

There it was! Her truck, parked in plain view beneath the glimmering glow of the orange streetlamps. She picked up speed, her knee screaming from its prior injury for her to stop. The brunette was forced to ignore it the best she could as she made her mad dash across the lot. She couldn't stop-her body just wouldn't register the command long enough for her feet to take effect. Instead, she slammed HARD into the side of the vehicle and was knocked back onto the ground. Quickly, she hopped back up to her feet, nearly buckling with the pain shooting up from her injured leg. She stuffed her hand into her pocket after the keys, thinking she was home free...

...But they were GONE! She panicked, thrusting her hand into her other jeans pockets to no avail. She patted down her front and looked on the ground, but they were nowhere in sight. Suddenly, she had a thought come to her. The brunette hurled herself against the door, shading her eyes as she looked in. There they were-still stuck in the ignition! She had forgotten to take them out!

_!_

Brittany whirled around. Her mother was still behind the warehouse chasing the false light instead of her. She started looking for something to break out the window. _**Nothing**_. As a last resort, she started slamming her elbow into the window but it didn't even bring a crack. She knew it wouldn't be long before her mother stopped chasing the bauble and came after her again. She started pounding on the glass with both fists, kicking the door, jostling the handle and doing everything in her power to get inside.

That's when she saw it. Just barely noticeable from the corner of her eye, she saw the red light again. Only THIS time, a blue one had joined it. She whirled around to see two young women about her age-maybe a bit older of younger, she wasn't sure-standing beneath a streetlamp. Panting, she turned to face them. Both wore looks as serene as anyone could emit. Brittany thought her eyes were playing tricks on her until she saw one of them move.

"Brittany...you are Brittany Marie Garrison, are you not?" the one holding the blue light said. Her voice was soft, but clear-it reminded the brunette of a singer's voice. She shook her head.

"Then you must hurry!" the second woman answered, a fiery spirit lilting her words. "Quickly, come with us!"

Brittany did not know then why she did it. Maybe it was because she felt she was about to die and had nothing to lose. Or perhaps it was the calming warmth the two maidens seemed to give off. Maybe she was just out of her mind. Whatever the reason may have been, the young woman soon found herself joining the duo beneath the streetlamp. As she stepped closer, her knee finally buckled under her and her legs gave out. The red light bearer caught her before she hit the ground. She looked up into the sapphire eyes of the first woman.

"Are you ready, Brittany?" the blue light bearer asked. "The adventure of your life is about to begin."

"Ad-adventure o-o-of m-my l-l-life?" stuttered out the girl. "My life is gonna be over when my mother catches me!"

The red light bearer shook her head. "Your time spent here is over. We thank you for enduring the burdens of this world for so long, but your life has only begun."

"Are you ready?" both women chanted.

Brittany looked up into their eyes, then back toward the fence. They were right. Nothing was left for her here but being a bargaining chip and watching the rest of the world crumble down around her, and that was IF she made it out of the parking lot alive. She gazed back up at the blue light bearer and nodded.

"Then hold tightly to our hands..." the girl took a firm, almost crushing grip on the maidens' hands. The light bearers winced, but smiled. Raising the arms they held the orbs of light in toward the sky, they turned their heads up and stared into the pitch black darkness.

"_By the power of all things good...Through the wisdom times brings upon us, we beseech you, O Great Entity of this world! Open the door for One whose heart is pure and whose courage is infinite!_"

As Brittany gazed up into the sky, she felt the icy breath of the wings rush up around her. The fog began to dissipate, letting her see the starry sky above. Vaguely, she could hear the screeching of her mother's truck in the distance coming closer.

"_I beseech thee with all my powers!_" shouted the red light bearer. The ball of light in her hand began to grow in size and pulse with wanton energy. Clouds bursting with streaks of lightning began to form overhead.

"_I beseech the with all of my spirit!_" cried the blue light bearer. The sound of metal twisting and clanging met Brittany's ears as her mother crashed through the fence.

"_We beseech you with all of our heart-TRANSPORT US TO OUR HOME!_"

A stream of light shot straight up from the orbs in the maidens' palms, twisting and contorting into a double helix of bright scarlet and cobalt energy until it had blended together and pierced the very center of the clouds. Suddenly, a bright white radiance cascaded down around the girls, and Brittany could feel herself losing consciousness. As darkness began to cloud her vision, she could recall the sound of her mother's truck getting closer and closer yet further away and more distant at the same time. She could sense her feet leaving the pavement, her toes instinctively scratching the surface of the asphalt as she drifted up. The last thing could ever remember hearing on Earth was the sound of one truck colliding with another and sirens filling the air.


	2. From the Earth to the Game

**CHAPTER TWO**

**"**_From the Earth to the Game_**"**

For a moment, Brittany thought she was in heaven. The warmth she felt...so bright, so friendly...was it sunlight? She was laying down. She could feel her body was still in one piece as the radiant sunshine beat down on her. Something was brushing again her cheek. Grass, perhaps? She could hear the rustle of when through trees, so she must have been laying somewhere outside. The only problem with the whole scenario was that, before she had lost consciousness, she had been standing in a parking lot-not peacefully dozing in a field somewhere! Her eyes snapped open but she was forced to shield them because of the blinding sunlight.

"Where...am I...?" she thought. She let her hand come to rest on her face just below her glasses. Memories of the past twenty-four hours flooded her mind. Getting called out of bed in the middle of the night...the endless stretch of highway...finally, her mother...her mother! Her mother had tried to _KILL_ her! She had tried to run her down for what? Revenge for being born? As long as she could remember, she had been Mother's Little Bargaining Chip. If she wanted something done by her grandparents, she refused to let them see her. When her brother ticked her off, Brittany never got to see him again. What ever mother wanted, mother got...almost at the cost of her own child's life.

Any other girl would have started bawling like an infant had a parent tried to kill them. Not Brittany. Instead, all she felt was emptiness. No matter how hard she worked, no matter what she had to give up, she had always done whatever she could to make her mother happy. Whether she was sick or well, busy or not, she'd try her best to clean up the house. She'd be as quiet as she possibly could so as not to wake her. Hell, she didn't even start swearing until she was 18! Never did you ever hear of her skipping a day of school or going somewhere without letting her mother know. She would toss away her own plans at a moment's notice if anything remotely interfered with her mother's last-minute ideas. And what did it get her in the end? A caged childhood, no boyfriend, and an attempted murder by her own mother. Abandonment by all she knew.

She felt so tired. Mentally and physically exhausted. She heaved a sorrow-laden sigh, which hitched in her throat but brought forth no tears. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she did not even notice the footsteps coming near her.

"What do you suppose that is?" a deep voice boomed.

"Dad, I think it's a person!" was a feminine reply.

"What? A person? Lemme see."

Brittany felt a presence crouch by her side. She tilted her head to the side and stared up into the face of the man standing over her. She noticed he was balding and had a thick, fuzzy mustache under a huge round nose. His eyes were filled with concern.

"It's a girl! And she's ALIVE! Malon, quickly, bring the canteen!"

Before she knew it, her head was being lifted and some sort of cold water drenched over her lips. Her eyes trailed over to a young woman with red hair that had knelt down beside of the man before they closed once more.

"Is she going to be alright?" the girl said.

"I think so...she just looks exhausted."

"Where do you suppose she came from? She doesn't look like anyone I've ever seen before. Her clothes are all weird, too."

Brittany tried to remember what she was wearing. A T-shirt, some jeans, a pair of sneakers and some hoop earrings...nothing too out of the ordinary there. Were these people on drugs or something?

"I don't know but take a gander at this!" she could feel the man tilting her head slightly to the side.

"Hey, wow! Look at her _ears!_"

_My ears?_ ran through Brittany's mind. _What's wrong with my ears?_

"Never seen anything like that before. They've not been cut...it looks like they grew that way."

Okay, now she was really leaning on the whole drugs theory. And after nearly meeting her Maker at the hands of her own mother, her nerves were raw and wearing thinner. "What. Is. Wrong. With. My. EARS?" The man let go of her head and she fell back onto the ground, her skull bashing against the soil and sending a jolt of pain through her already aching noggin. She turned over on her side and raised up, glaring at the man who, in surprise, jumped behind the young woman in beside of him.

"Oh, my, she's awake!" the girl said.

"You bet I'm awake," Brittany growled. "What's your problem about my ears? You come from the land of dog ears or something!" That's when she saw it. Sticking out from the sides of her companions heads were long pointed ears. Pointed ears! She reached up and felt of her own, then reached over and gave the man's a tug.

"Ow! Hey, miss, lemme go!"

"Holy crap-they're REAL!" Brittany fell backwards. The man rubbed his ears and stared at her.

"Of course they're real!" he whimpered. "Why would anybody wanna wear fake ears?"

"I...don't know..." was all the girl could muster. It didn't make any sense! She should be dead now, right? Maybe she was dead and this was Heaven. _Ouch!_ she pinched herself. _Heaven's not suppose to hurt!_ Well, was she in Hell? No, if she was in Hell, they wouldn't have given her something to drink. So where was she? The pinch ruled out dreaming, so now she knew she was at least alive and awake. But that didn't explain the field and the people with the pointed ears or how she got there. She started to get dizzy.

"Are you okay, miss?" inquired the man. "You look frazzled."

"I'm trying to figure out how I got here..." she said in earnest.

"Well, perhaps if you tell us where you came from, we can help you get back home." Brittany looked down at her hands. They were bruised on from where she had beat against the window of her truck trying to get in. Her knee was in pain, too. She recalled the words of the woman that held the red light...

_Your time spent here is over..._

Did she really want help going back there? She had nothing left. Her dreams, her house, her friends and family-it had all been taken away from her in one fateful night. Even if she knew how to get back there, she had no use in returning. Wherever she was at now was way better off than being crushed under her mother's tires in a parking lot somewhere.

"I have no home," the brunette murmured. "It's gone and it's never coming back."

At that, a deeply sympathetic scowl crossed the faces of the man and girl. The red-head bit her lower lip and apologized. "I'm sorry, I didn't know..."

Brittany lifted her head and gave a sad smile. "It's okay," she pushed herself up and tried to stand, but the pain in her knee caused it to buckle under and she fell back to the ground. The man and girl rushed forward to extend a helping hand. She finally managed to balance herself out will most of her weight on one leg before they let go of her.

"Steady..." the man said. "Looks like you hurt yourself pretty bad, huh?"

Brittany reached down and tried to massage her knee. "An old injury that hasn't healed. After all of the running I did last night-" she stopped short. If she was ever going to leave her old world behind her, she needed to not bring it up-especially to these strangers.

"Running? Why were you running?" the girl asked.

"Never mind," Brittany shooed her off. "I injured myself dancing and have reinjured it recently-hey!" Before she could say anything, the redhead had pulled her pants leg up above the knee. The girl winced at the sight.

"My stars! However did you make it here with your kneecap popped out of its socket like that?"

Brittany lost her balance and fell back onto the ground again. The maiden knelt down beside of her and called to her companion. "Dad, come here a minute..." the man leaned down and she whispered something in his ear. He gave her a startled look, then turned to Brittany and back again to the girl. She nodded and lifted the brunette girl's leg. "Now, I need you to do something for me, okay, miss?" She scooted over beside of Brittany's leg while the man took her place holding it. The girl put her hands over the young woman's knee and looked up. "I need you to look up at the sky and count back from ten."

"Uh...okay..." Brittany glanced up at the azure sky and started counting. "Ten...nine...eight...seven...six...fiiiIIIIIIIIIIYEEEOWCH!" A swift tug on her foot and a blow to her kneecap sent a surge of pain shooting up her body. The moment the man dropped her leg, she was on her feet and shouting. "WHAT IN THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?"

"To pop your kneecap back in place," grinned the girl.

Brittany noticed that the agony in her leg was gone. She lifted the limb a little bit and bent the knee, then swung it back and forth a few times. It was still a little sore, but much better than it had been.

"Gee...thanks, you guys," she looked up into the smiling faces before her. "You didn't have to do that."

"No problem!" the young woman giggled. "It seems like you've been through some pretty rough stuff. You're all bruised and scratched up, so I can only imagine what you must have gone through. For someone to have been running on a dislocated knee, you must have been in a race for your life for it to have gotten so torn up like that."

_You don't know the half of it_...she thought.

"You know, you never did say where you were from," the man reminded. Brittany cast her eyes down toward the ground, that feeling of emptiness crawling back through her. The man nodded. "I see...you don't want to talk about it right now..."

"If you please..." she whispered.

"No need to tell us, my girl," the man gave a good-natured wink. "There's just some parts of a person's past that are too personal to talk about."

Brittany's head shot up and met the man's face. She had been expecting him to start shouting at her to spill her guts, but he and his friend had helped push her knee back into place without a thought as to their gain. Few people had ever been so friendly to her without wanting something in return.

"If you don't mind me asking, could you at least tell us how you got here?" the redhead chimed.

"I don't really know. One minute I'm one place, then the next minute I'm snoozing in this field. I wasn't even IN a field! All I can remember are these two girls that were there. I remember walking up to them, but..."

That's when it clicked. Those two girls! She knew something was out of place about them, but her mind was so out of touch with reality at the time that she hadn't noticed. But now she remembered. Both of those girls had pointed ears! Not just that, but they both had unnaturally colored hair, too! Where had those two taken her? Her head started to hurt...

"Goodness, miss! Are you okay?" the redhead said, rushing to her side. "I think your ordeal took a lot more out of you than you thought."

"If what you went through was anything like what caused your injury, I am not surprised!"

"I'm fine..." Brittany said holding her hand to her temple. "Listen, have either of you seen some odd-looking characters around here?"

"You mean besides you, Miss Round Ears?" the girl giggled. Brittany smiled back. It was good to hear laughter again.

"Actually, I meant these two girls I saw. I think they may have brought me here."

"What did they look like?" the man asked. "It's a small world...we may have seen 'em."

"Well, the first one was a little taller than me. She had blue eyes and fair skin. Her eye was long and wavy and...this is gonna sound crazy, but her hair was blue. The second one was just a wee bit taller, with tan skin, long red hair and reddish-colored eyes. Both had oval shaped faces and pointed ears like yours! I didn't notice at the time-my min was elsewhere-but I think they brought me here."

"Blue hair? Reddish eyes? Hmm..." the man stroked his mustache. "Sounds to me like you'll be looking for the Triplets."

"The Triplets?" Brittany cocked her head to the side.

"Yeah, three young girls about your age that came to live in the town not so long ago. Two of 'em looks exactly the way your two girls did."

"Where can I find them?" the brunette asked.

"They live in town as entertainers. One's a dancer, another's a vocalist, and the third one is a storyteller."

Brittany clasped her hands together at her chin. "Please! You have to take me to them!"

"Whoa, now! Hold yer horses, little lady!" the man tried to calm her down. "The last I heard, they decided to take a trip somewhere. Supposed to be back at the end of the month, they are. Until then, you'll just have to wait."

"End of the month? Oh boy..."

"If you need a place to stay until then," the maiden chirped, "our ranch is always open. It's nearby the town, so you should be able find out almost the moment they arrive."

"You'll let me stay with you?" Brittany said, the hope exuding in her voice.

The man and girl chuckled. "We don't have much room, but if you don't mind sleeping in the barn or the kitchen-"

"I take it, I'll take it!" she lunged forward and clasped the man's calloused hand in her own, nearly shaking it out of its socket. "My, you're an energetic girl, ain't'cha? You remind me a lot of my daughter here." The young woman giggled at the man's comment.

"By the way, we've never been properly introduced," Brittany said. "The name's Brittany."

"'Brittany'? Hee hee...that's a funny name! Never heard that one before."

"Huh?" the girl scratched her head. "Really? Wow, it was a popular name back where I came from..."

"My name is Malon," the redhead replied. "This is my father, Talon."

"Pleased to meet'cha, young lady."

Brittany smiled. _Malon and Talon...? Oh, puh-lease!_ her mind shouted. _That's the farming family's names from the Legend of Zelda game series. This has to be a coincidence. Just because I was saved by some weirdoes chanting some odd mantras and am standing in front of two people convinced they are game characters doesn't mean I got transported to a game. After all, they're just games! Although..._

She took a look at her hosts. The girl called Malon wore a bandanna with a dinosaur medallion clasping the ends together in the front, a white blouse, and a plain purple skirt and leather apron. She even had the thick red hair her LoZ counterpart had! But when she turned to Talon...

_This has just gotta be a coincidence. The next thing you know, they'll be telling me I'm in Hyru-_

"Welcome to Hyrule, Brittany!"


	3. Working for a Living

**CHAPTER THREE**

**"**_Working for a Living_**"**

"Hyrule...I'm in Hyrule?" Brittany stared, her mouth slightly agape. "You've gotta be kidding me..."

"No, Miss Brittany, you are actually in Hyrule!" Talon grinned. "Perhaps you were headed for Labrynna or Holodrum? I heard those lands are two of the Triplets' favorite haunts."

The girl's stomach did a flip. She had to have been losing her mind for sure. I mean, here she was, stuck in the world of one of her all-time favorite video game series, talking to real life video game characters! Video games and real life didn't go together...or DID they? Could it be possible that this was for real? Throughout her years, she wanted nothing more than to escape the reality she lived and journey to such a place. She long ago realized that something like that would never come true, but yet, here it was! Staring her in the face in the form of Malon and Talon! Good grief! Did this mean there were OTHER LoZ characters hanging about? It made her head hurt just thinking about it all.

Luckily for her, one of Lon Lon Ranch's prized dairy cows had broken down part of the fence and wandered off into the forest, so her first encounter was with Hylians of good repute. After helping round up the lost cow (she didn't have to do anything but block the bovine's path so Malon could get a noose around the creature's neck), she followed her newfound friends to their ranch. Or, rather, she rode the cow back to the ranch-the lazy thing didn't seem to mind, and it felt good for Brittany to get off of her sore leg.

Brittany had never experienced anything like the land of Hyrule before. Even though the farmers were quick to assure her that the world was a much larger place than that, the Earthling could not help but gape wide-eyed at her new surroundings. Everything was so new to her. The plants, the animals...a few were similar to the ones back in her birthrealm, but there were so many others that she had never seen before. In order to keep her mind off of the horrors that had happened before she was transported to Hyrule, she began to entertain herself with asking as many questions as she could to Malon.

"Hey, Malon, what's that plant over there? You know, the one with seven leaves? Ooh, look, a squirrel-at least, I think it's a squirrel. It looks kinda big to be a squirrel...By the way, how big is the ranch, anyway? Does this cow have a name? She's pretty..."

The bovine let out a low bellow as Brittany stroked her side. Talon let out a hearty laugh. "My, aren't you the chatty one?"

"Um...that's a hydrogem plant-it's good for medicine. Yes, that is a squirrel. The ranch is plenty big enough for the three of us, the farmhands and the livestock, and the cow's name is Melody."

"Oh, wow, you've got a good memory, Malon!" Brittany chimed. "Melody is a pretty name...Yes, it is!" That's when the girl's hyper streak decided to take over in the form of a song about Melody the Pretty Cow.

"_Oh...! Me-lo-dy is a Pretty Cow! The pretty cow has a pretty name! She is a pretty cow with a pretty name, and I am riiiiiiiiiiiding her to Lon Lon Ranch. Pretty cow...pretty cow...look at me, sitting atop the pretty cow! Pretty Cow, oh yes, she is! She is a pretty ...!_"

And so the song went. Now, most people would have lost their minds and knocked Brittany off of the Pretty Cow after the first minutes of listening to that ear-shattering tune, but Malon and Talon tolerated it. Maybe they supposed she had post-traumatic stress disorder or something. Either way, very soon, a colossal farm enclosed with a log fence began to appear in the distance. One could see the strange bold symbols carved into the sign above the entrance.

"Welcome to Lon Lon Ranch, Miss Brittany! The pride and joy of the Hylian milk industry!"

"We're also famous for our horses," Malon joined in. "We hope you enjoy your stay."

Brittany slid off of the animal once they got inside the ranch. Talon closed the gate back and his daughter removed the lasso from around the bovine's neck. After gently scolding the creature-who, by now, was only interested in chewing her cud-she patted Melody on the rump and sent her off to join the others in the pasture. Brittany walked up to her.

"Well, we still have a couple of hours before dusk," said Malon. "You can go inside for now and rest, and later Dad can show you where you'll sleep."

The brunette looked shocked. "Oh no! Not right now. Please," she begged, "let me do a few things around the ranch! I've never been around horses, and my leg's still a little weak, but I'm a hard worker! I catch on really fast, so you don't have to worry about spending all day teaching me. Just point me in the direction of my new chores and I'll get to work!"

"No, no!" Malon exclaimed. "You are a guest, and an injured one at that. You need rest."

"Please, let me help," whimpered the human. "I may be a little slow, but I'm strong! See?" Just then, Brittany proceeded to grab a crate full of filled milk bottles from a passing farmhand and hoist it onto her head. "I won't take 'no' for an answer, so you'd better give me some work if you ever want to shut me up. Otherwise, I'll just follow you around and pester you until you do."

Malon saw her argument was getting nowhere. Besides, with the festivities coming up, they needed all the help they could get. She agreed to let Brittany help out (after she gave the milk crate back, though, since she didn't want the girl injured further). Within moments, the new arrival was earning her keep mucking out the stables-a job that Malon particularly hated, but freely gave Brittany the go-ahead when the other girl jumped at the chance for work-pitching hay into the cattle troughs, and other odd jobs. Once she saw her friend was not going to burn the barn down or anything, she left the girl to her work and went off to care for the horses. After every chore she finished, Malon would be greeted by the sight of the energetic brunette making her way across the field to ask for another chore. By sunset, all of that day's and half of the next day's work was out of the way.

As the darkness began to descend upon the ranch, Malon came out of the farmhouse. The scent of fresh meat and bread wafted out over the yard as she slipped through the doorway. It had been a while since she had heard from her guest but at last she found her standing next to the barn, splitting blocks into firewood.

"You can stop any time, you know," the redhead spoke. "I think you have done enough for one day."

"Nuh-uh!" protested the maiden. "I'm just getting warmed up!"

Malon crossed her arms and leaned against the side of the barn. She had never seen anything like the girl. There were very few people that she could think of that were so zealous about work as this kid was-in fact, she could only name one other person her age that liked physical labor so much, but he was an adventurer. The rancher stood there and watched as Brittany chunked off piece after piece of wood with unfathomable enthusiasm, becoming quite amused with the grimaces her little pal was making as she hacked away. Finally, by the time the girl's clothes had saturated with what little moisture the girl had left in her body, Malon took hold of the axe and led the girl inside the farmhouse.

The kitchen was still empty since the farmhands were putting the animals away, so Brittany had no need to feel embarrassed about how tightly her sweat-soaked clothes clinging to her. Malon brought her through a couple of rooms before stopping and closing the door behind them. She walked over to a chest at the foot of a quilt-covered bed and pulled out a robe.

"Here," she said, offering the garment to Brittany, "you go have a soak while I finish cooking supper." She walked back outside and across yard to a building in the corner of the ranch. The brunette could see steam rising from the top of the walls. Malon knocked on the door a couple of times and, receiving no answer, pushed open the door and ushered the girl through.

In the center of the room lay tiny pool barely bigger than what people back in Brittany's world had called a hot tub. The sides were raised slightly, but the breadth of the pool lay sunken into the ground. Tendrils of steam drifted up from the warmth of the heated liquid in the basin. Malon headed over to a large set of cabinets and enclosed shelves in the back of the room and pulled out a few items, then she returned and set them down on top of a soap box positioned at the edge of the tub.

"Here's where you will bathe. I have soap, a towel, and a cloth for you to use. There's a basin, too. Just fill the bowl and scrub off, rinse yourself, and hop in the bath for a nice long soak. You deserve it after all of the work you have put in today," the redhead walked over toward the entrance and motioned toward the door. "Nobody should bother you, but if you want, you may bar this door after I leave. Once I finish supper, I'll bring you some dry things to put on. Then you can come get a bite to eat. Sound good?"

Brittany burst into a warm, overjoyed smile. "Thank you so much, Malon. I've never had anyone be so kind to me before. I don't deserve such kindness..."

"Nonsense, Brittany," the maiden scolded her. "If anyone deserves kindness, it is you. You were true to your word about helping us on the ranch today, and then some. Now, go wash up. That water should help your knee." And with that, the rancher disappeared through the door, leaving the American alone in the bathroom.

She looked down at the robe in her hands before clenching her fingers around the fleece and clutching it to her chest. She sank down next to the tub as her emotions overwhelmed her. She had made friends-good friends, to boot-that had offered her a temporary shelter and food. _Food!_ Her stomach growled angrily. She hadn't had anything but some leftover milk back in the other realm and water for the past two days. The water and work helped quell her appetite for so long, but getting still made her hunger come back full-force. At least it gave her something else to think about...

She barred the door and, looking around to make sure no one could see her, stripped off her filthy clothes and took the basin off the box. She scooped up some of the water and dumped the whole thing over her head, before refilling the bowl for the next round. After soaking herself down, the brunette grabbed the cloth and sweet-smelling soap Malon had given her and started to work up a lather. She scrubbed the bubbly substance into her hair, then began to work her way further down her body, scrubbing hard to wash away what filth she had brought with her from the other world. Finally, the tedious part done, she poured a few more bowl-fulls of water over her body and watched the remnants of her past streak across the tiled floor and down the drain. Then she climbed the edge and eased herself into the tub.

Brittany winced as the scalding hot liquid enveloped her. She'd never been accustomed to water so hot before. How could Malon and her father stand this! The heat nearly overpowered her senses, making her lean against the edge for support. Eventually, the churning in her stomach quelled and the tranquility of the hot water began to soak into her system. Resting her forearms on the side of the pool, she let her submerged half float up through the water. After a few moments, she allowed her legs to uncurl and dangle supinely beside her. As her body began to adjust to the comfort the bath had to offer, she noticed her lids begin to close and she contended herself with the sound of the insects singing in the night air.

She must have dozed off for a while, because the next then she knew, there was a pounding ringing out from the door. "Brittany? Hey, I brought you those clothes I promised!" shouted someone. "Hey, girl, it's Malon-open up!" Brittany groaned and lifted her arms to stretch-which, when you are half-asleep in a tub, is never a good thing to do-and wound up falling down into the water. She jumped up, sputtering and gagging on the bathwater as she fumbled for the robe. Tossing it on, she stumbled over to the door and threw it open.

The redhead took one look at the addled maiden and began to laugh. "Hee hee, don't tell me that was your first time in an outdoor bath? Did you fall asleep?" The exhausted young woman yawned and nodded her head. "That's okay. Everyone does that at least once. I know I did. When we first had it installed, Dad wound always doze off in it-it took him three months to get out of that routine."

A tired smirk spread across Brittany's face. Malon held up her offering. "Here, these were my mother's. Let's see if they fit you." The maiden unfolded each garment and laid them over her companion's arm. There was a white blouse similar to Malon's, a yellow skirt, an undershirt, some underwear and a tangerine bandanna. The girl quickly pulled on her new wardrobe and found it to be a perfect fit.

"That's good...I was afraid they would be too big for you," the rancher beamed. "Now, let's go get you some dinner!"

"Great, I'm famished!" Brittany patted her belly.

The two of them headed out, the Earthling's dirty laundry tucked under one arm, back across the yard. Brittany filed into the house behind her host, stopping briefly to pull off her shoes and hand the laundry over to Malon-who promptly disposed of it in the hamper-before heading to the table to join Talon and two other men.

"Ah! The prodigal lass has returned!" Talon raised his arms in dramatic gesture. "Come, come...sit yerself down and fill your plate. Malon has really treated us tonight."

"You don't have to tell me twice," grinned the young woman. By the time Malon took her seat, Brittany had already helped herself to a bowl of stew and was slathering a thick chunk of bread in honey.

"My, you certainly have quite an appetite!" Talon exclaimed.

"Well, I haven't..._chomp chomp_...eaten for..._slurp_...two whole days."

"Then, by all means," Malon smiled as she pushed the bread basket toward her, "have as much as you want, sister!"

Brittany beamed another wild grin at the ranchers before dumping nearly half the jar of honey on her bread and tearing chunks of it apart with her teeth. She scooped up several heaping spoonfuls of stew before downing the whole thing with a cold glass of moo-juice. The two farmhands were staring at her by now, kinda shocked that someone could eat that fast.

"You certainly like honey, don't you?" one worker noted.

"Mmm-hmm!" the maiden replied. "Honey's one of my favorite foods. That and strawberries. I could live on them both." She noticed them staring at her. "What's the matter? Haven't you ever seen a girl eat before?"

"Oh, um, yes ma'am! It's just, I've never seen anyone eat so _fast_ before," the other laborer explained. "Well, except for Link, that is-that kid could down a whole fried cucco in one gulp!...Hey, are you alright?"

At the mention of the name 'Link', Brittany remembered she had forgotten she was in Hyrule and nearly chocked on the lump of bread she was eating. A few hearty slaps on the back from Talon forced the bread on down, but not before crumbs of the scratchy substance made their way into her lungs. "Excuse me...what did you say that name was?"

"Oh," the worker heaved a sigh of relief when his tablemate quite coughing, "his name is Link. He's the blacksmith's grandson. Got knighted a few years back when he first won the annual tournament. Nice little fellow, if I do say so myself. Makes a heck of a fine swordsman."

_Since Link has a grandfather, that rules out my being in any of the games from Majora's Mask on back-the Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass are out, too..._Brittany made a mental note._ With the inclusion of a tournament, that means I'm probably in a time period between one of the Oracle games and the Minish Cap. I could be in a different period altogether, but at least I've gotten it narrowed down!_

"So, what is your name, young lady?" asked a worker.

"Her name is Brittany," Malon added. "We found her in the forest this morning when Dad and I went after the missing cow."

"Oh, I see..." the man turned back around and gave the brunette a cheeky grin. "What was a pretty thing like you doing out in the forest?"

Brittany rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Dude, if you wanna flirt, you've gotta use better pick-up lines than that." She took a swig of her milk as the farmhand went crimson. His buddy snickered and Talon began to beat the table from laughing so hard.

"She got ya there, Milo," Talon guffawed, then turned back to Brittany. "Don't take it personally, Miss Brittany. Milo can't help himself when he sees a pretty face."

"I'll just have to take your word for that," she shrugged and downed the rest of her glass. Just as the accosted worker was about to say something in his defense, there came a knock at the door.

"I'll get it," Malon piped up, pushing her seat in as she stood. She sauntered over to the door and pulled it open. "Well, well! Look who we have here! Come on in, fellows." A burly man with a thick tuft of white hair and a gnarled white beard tipped his cap to the maiden and walked in. Close behind him followed a young man in green. His wild blonde hair jutted out in random places from beneath the long cap atop his head. They gave a slight nod to Malon and the other ranchers.

"We just got back from delivering a sword to a hermit that lives up on Mt. Crenel," said the old man. "I apologize for our not being back sooner."

"Oh, no problem, at all!" Malon chirped. "No need to fret. Since most of the workers go home to eat, we still have plenty for all." The old man glanced around the room and his eyes settled on Brittany. The girl gulped.

"Oh, Smith, this is my new friend Brittany. Brittany, I would like you to meet Smith," she turned to the seated girl. "He's the best blacksmith in all of Hyrule."

"Nice to meet ya," the old man took a slight bow to her.

"And speaking of the devil..." Malon turned to the young man. "It's been a while since you and your grandfather visited us."

"Well, you know how it gets around this time of year," he answered, his cerulean eyes brimming with spirit.

"Oh, yes!" she gestured for the boy to follow her to the table. "Brittany, I want you to meet a good friend of mine. Say hello to Hyrule's own personal hero-Link."


	4. A Rude Awakening

**CHAPTER FOUR**

**"**_A Rude Awakening_**"**

The blonde Hylian before her gave a slight bow and smiled warmly, his bright cerulean eyes gazing down into her own hazel orbs. "My name is Link. I'm Smith's grandson and a knight of Hyrule. Nice to meet you."

Brittany nodded her head and grinned. "I'm Brittany. It's a pleasure to me you too, Link!"

The Hylian and his grandfather pulled up a chair at the table and joined them. While everyone was helping themselves to supper, Brittany began to get pelted with questions. "So," the Smith started, "where are you from, kid?"

"I'd rather not say," the brunette said shoving another spoonful in her mouth. "It's something I would rather forget, if you don't mind."

The blacksmith and workers stared at the girl but said nothing. "Well, then, why are you here?"

"She's looking for someone who brought her here," Malon joined in. "Judging from the description she gave, I think she's looking for Din and Nayru. But they left about two days ago and won't be back until the festival begins," the young woman turned back to Brittany. "Do you like festivals, Brittany?"

The maiden shrugged. "I don't know...I've never been to one."

Malon and the others sat stunned at the answer. "Never been to a festival, eh?" Talon added. "Well, then, you'd best stick around for awhile! Our festivals are a shame to miss."

"Yeah! There's games," Malon chimed in, "and lots of good food to eat."

"Singers, dancers, storytellers, jesters..." the two workers prattled off.

"The best thing about this particular event is the martial arts tournament," Smith said. "People come from all over Hyrule to watch and take part in our sword-fighting contests. The winner is presented with the prize of a sword created by Hyrule's greatest blacksmith-that'll be me, kid."

"The festival has a lot of history for us all," Malon asked, "doesn't it, Link? Especially a few years ago."

"Why?" Brittany downed another piece of honey-soaked bread. "What was so special about a few years ago?" At that, the rancher's face paled and silence fell across the table. Everyone stopped eating and grimaces of fear struck some of the faces around her. Even the jovial Talon lost the perpetual grin he was so renown for. "What, was it something I said?"

"It was when _HE_ came to town..."

"'He'? Who the heck is 'he'?"

Malon heaved a sigh and sloshed the milk around in her glass. "It was around seven years ago that it happened. The castle hosted the tournament the same way it has done for centuries. After the king's big speech, the contestants were pitted off and the contest began. By the time it was over, one lone man stood the victor."

She paused and set her glass down. "But when he came up to claim his prize, he instead unleashed some horrible monsters into Hyrule and turned the princess to stone," she shot a glance over at Link. "My friend here had to go on a quest to refuge the Holy Sword and save her from that freak."

_HOT DOG! I'm in the Minish Cap! Or after it..._she gave a mental squeal.

"In the end, Vaati-that's the little guy who caused all of the problems, was defeated by Link. The spell on Princess Zelda was broken and the curse lifted from Hyrule. Ever since, Link has been regarded as a hero for his brave deed. Why, if it hadn't been for him, that demon might still be alive and raging today!"

The blonde sort of squirmed in his chair. Brittany noticed there was a certain uneasiness about his face when the rancher had mentioned Vaati's death. The others didn't seem to notice it, but she spotted a trickle of sweat roll down his forehead at her words. From the looks of things, that probably meant that Vaati was still alive. She had played this version of the game before-she knew the wind mage was supposed to be dead. Maybe this era was more dependant on the manga? For the first time in her life, she finally had a good excuse for her playing video games throughout the years.

"Ur...anyway..." Link muttered uncomfortably. "Yeah, the Picori Festival is not a thing to miss. I wish you had come here when you were younger though, 'cause you might have gotten to see a Picori."

Malon's face fell. "Yeah, they say that only children can see the Picori. And you're, what, fourteen, fifteen years old?"

"I'm almost twenty, thank you!" Brittany huffed.

"Really?" the young workers gasped. Their faces fell, probably because they realized the young woman was too old for their teenage infatuation.

"But you look so much younger!" Talon boasted.

Brittany shrugged. "I get that a lot."

"That's cool," Malon said, "Link and I are seventeen. The princess is, too. We've hung out since childhood."

And so went the rest of supper. Brittany began to ask the youths about life in Hyrule and what they did growing up. Fish tales and adventure stories resounded throughout the night until it was finally ready for everyone to go home. The nighttime insects were blaring their serenades across the field as the girls stood in the doorway to bid everyone farewell.

"Don't be a stranger!" Malon called out to the blonde. "Come back and see us soon, Link!"

He promised and the duo headed back inside. Brittany insisted on helping Malon clear the table, so as soon as the dishes were done, she followed the redhead out to the barn. She heard the low neigh of a horse as she trotted after her host to a vacant stall. It wasn't much to look at, but it was Heaven to Brittany. An empty stall had been cleaned out especially for her. There was a pile of straw in the back fashioned into a makeshift nest, over which Malon tossed one of the blankets she was carrying. She passed the other blanket and a pillow to the thankful girl and headed out.

"It's not much but at least it's dry," Malon crooned. "If you need anything else, just let us know."

"It's more than enough, Malon. Thank you so much for letting me stay here. I'll try to work really hard tomorrow to make up for it!"

The redhead giggled. "After all of the work you did today, you'll be out of it half a day tomorrow," she sighed. "You should probably rest that knee of yours. When Din comes back, maybe she or one of her sisters can heal it for you. Either way, it's best you not damage it any further than you already have."

A few yawned protests later and Malon left. With a tired sigh, the brunette tossed the cushion on top of her makeshift bed and fell back into it with a groan. Oh, how wonderful it felt to get off of her feet after a nice day's work! She purred contently-an old habit she developed when she was a kid (guess she believed early on that she was going to wind up an old cat lady :) )-and wrapped the blanket around her. Stretching out her legs to where her feet just barely dangled over the edge, she heaved a sigh and stared up at the ceiling.

It was dark inside the barn, but at least she could hear the animals around her. The lullaby of the insects filled her ears with its deafening orchestra, and she could hear a couple of owls hooting off in the distance. Sure, the smell was a little odd, but years of living on a farm back in her old realm helped tune it out. Instead, she found herself comforted by the thick, wheaty scent of the straw and the occasion wafting of freshly cut grass through the aisles of the barn. With her body worn out from the labor and her stomach full of food, she soon gave herself up to the music of the night.

Before she knew what was going on, her eyes snapped open and she shot awake. She didn't know what time it was, but she knew it had to have been early as it was still a bit dark inside the barn. The nocturnal insects had put away their instruments for the night apparently, because it was very quiet in the stall. She heard nickering around her. Then...something else. Footfalls, barely audible if you were not listening for them, were making their way up the aisle. She heard latches being undone and the sound of a horse rearing back. A man's voice started growling.

"Don't you be like that with me!" it said. "You are MY horse now. Those bumpkins at the ranch don't deserve such a fine, noble animal like you..."

Easing out of her nest, Brittany crawled over to the corner of the stall and looked out. Twilight flooded the aisles but still had not managed to penetrate the darker recesses of her stall. She peaked her head out in time to see a tall man in armor tugging on a rope lassoed to a frightened horse. The creature kept shaking its head and trying to rear back, angering the man enough to haul off and smack the poor beast.

"Be quiet, you fool! Do you wish to wake the whole house!" he jerked hard on the rope, earning a raspy snort from the horse. "I WILL have you as my horse, regardless of those fools wishes!"

By now, Brittany had climbed to her feet. She had managed to find the pitchfork Malon had tossed the hay down with and had it poised in her hands like a spear, ready to run the man through if necessary. The horse started bucking up, tossing the man to the ground. He leapt up, cursing, then pulled a whip from his belt and began to flog the creature. Finally, when Brittany could take the animal's whinnies of distress no longer, she silently darted out of the stall and straight for the thief.

The man didn't know what hit him. The moment Brittany reached him, she thrust the pitchfork between the man's knees and threw her weight against it, sending the wretch crashing to the ground with a yell. She was on back on her feet before he was, the pitchfork in her steady grasp pointed at his throat.

"Don't you DARE move an inch!" barked the girl. "How DARE you steal from such nice people?"

She started screaming at the top of her lungs for the ranchers. That's when the man took the opportunity to grab for his sword. Brittany thrust the tip of the fork just below the thief's chin, making him relinquish his hand on the blade. When Malon and Talon got into the barn, they found the armored man at the brunette's mercy.

"Goddesses above, Brittany! What is going on-you!" Malon gasped when she saw the figure. "Sir Verdun, what is the meaning of this?"

"I caught this guy trying to steal a horse," claimed the Earthling.

"How could you, Dunstin?" Talon's face fell. "You were never like this when you were a boy. You used to be such an honest man...Do you realize how a thing like horse stealing could tarnish your record?"

"But it won't!" while Brittany had turned away, the knight had managed to wrangle the pitchfork out of her hands and throw the woman to the ground. He turned and bolted out the opposite end of the barn and into the field. The ranchers ran after him.

"Stop!" Talon bellowed. "Don't let him get away!"

Brittany was about to run off after him when something stopped her. A soft nicker from behind made her whirl around. The horse that man tried to make off with was still there. She patted the beast on the neck and crooned softly to it. "Please, please forgive me for this, but we need to catch him!" The maiden stuck the pitchfork in the ground and climbed up on the side of the stall. Throwing her legs over the sides of the animal, she nabbed her weapon and twisted a fist in the horse's lasso. She lightly kicked her feet against its flank and shouted.

"Let's go!"

The horse bolted out of the barn, nearly throwing Brittany off in the process. Luckily, the maiden maintained her grip on the rope and braced herself against the jostling as the beast shot across the field like a streak of summer lightning. Finally, the tiny dot that was Sir Verdun began to grow bigger and bigger until the girl was right on his heels. Just as he was about to reach the entrance to the farm, the brunette summoned her courage and leapt from the horse, knocking the knight to the ground. The armored man threw Brittany off and fumbled for his sword, but the enraged maiden brought the wooden end of the fork up and busted him right beneath the chin. The man tossed his head back, dazed, as the American darted for his legs again. Quickly, he shook his head and jumped to the side, drawing his sword as he took his stance. Malon and Talon started running across the field, the older farmer panting and struggling to keep pace.

"Watch out, Brittany!" the redhead shouted. "Sir Verdun is one of Hyrule's best knights!"

The knight stood in position with one foot drawn back, his sword arm extended and free arm behind his back. "They don't call me Verdun the Swift for nothing!" growled the man as he lunged forward. Brittany brought the pitchfork back up and just barely caught the blade between the prongs. The shock recoiled through her body and her arms began to tremble as the knight forced his entire weight down upon her weapon. She started regretting all of that wood chopping from the day before as her limbs grew weak beneath Verdun's attack. Brittany shrieked out a war cry and forced the blade off to the side. With a grunt, the thief jumped back into another fighting stance. As he lunged forward a second time, Brittany darted to the side and rolled out of his path. Unfortunately, her dodge caused her weapon to fall from her hands. As she scrambled for her pitchfork, her eyes widened. Verdun was poised and ready to deliver the final blow.

...But that blow never came. The moment his sword rushed down, a flurry of green flashed in front of him and brought another sword up to meet it. _Clang! Cha-ching!_ Sir Verdun ricocheted from the attack and stood back to scan his new opponent.

"What's a knight like you doing fighting a lady, huh?" shouted the swordsman.

"Link!" Malon cried out. "Sir Verdun tried to steal a horse!"

"Not that you will live to tell it!" the man brought his arm down again, but Link quickly sidestepped it. The raging sword swung around in a fierce arc only to be dodged and countered by the green-clad hero. Another blow, then another. With each attempted swipe, the younger knight pranced around his attacker, always managing to slip out of harm's way. After a few moments of watching his opponent remain unscathed, Sir Verdun roared out a battle cry and charged for the boy with renewed fury. Brittany watched the duo encircle one another, blow blocking blow, step matching step, pant after pant as they continued their dance of death. Finally, he unthinkable happened...Link stepped into a wet patch of grass and his feet flew out from beneath him.

"LINK!"

"!"

_CRACK!_ Instead of plunging his blade into the youth's vital flesh, the knight merely collapsed on top of Link. The boy blinked in surprise, then looked up with a smile to find an enraged Brittany standing above him, her arms gripping the handle of the pitchfork with blinding intensity. The metal prongs were positioned just over Verdun's head.

"You got him!" Link shouted.

Brittany tried to control her furious breath, blurting out what words she could. "Serves..._pant_...the bastard right..._pant_..."

Link gave a light chuckle as Malon ran up to the battleground. "Omigosh, Link, are you alright?" The blonde rolled the unconscious man off of his body with the help of the girls and helped himself to his feet.

"Everything's fine, Malon," the youth beamed. "We stopped Sir Verdun."

"I see that!" the redhead cheered. "Thank you so much, Link! Brittany!"

"Meh, not like I helped any," the brunette shrugged, her breath a great deal calmer now. "Link here did all of the hard work. I just had a lucky shot."

"Not true!" Malon said. "I saw what you did before Link got here!" she clasped her hands together. Had it been possible, Brittany swore that Malon would have gone starry-eyed. "That was amazing! How did you ever learn to fight like that?"

Brittany tapped the toe of her foot with the pitchfork. "Whad'dya mean, 'fight'?" she mused. "I just conked the idiot on the head with a pitchfork. Anyone could have done the same."

"Not necessarily, Brittany," Link joined in, "I saw you, too. You were able to hold your own until I got here. And with a jumping strike as powerful as yours-you have the makings of a wonderful knight, Brittany."

"Hell, anybody is better than this guy here," she hauled off and kicked Verdun's side, wincing as the ball of her naked foot collided with the thick metal of his armor. She bounced around on one foot for a minute then hobbled over to the horse and took off the lasso.

"What are you doing, Brittany?" Malon asked.

"Tying this loser up," the brunette flipped the man over onto his stomach and proceeded to lash his wrists together. When she was sure he wasn't going to get lose, she ripped the whip from his hip.

Talon finally caught up, scarlet-faced and completely out of breath. He collapsed onto the ground. "Hey, you got him!" the rancher hollered.

"Yeah, old news," Brittany said. "Mr. Talon, toss me one of your socks."

He stared at the girl with a confused expression. "Huh? Why do ya want my sock?"

Brittany took hold of the whip in both hands and pulled it taught with a _snap!_ "Payback time for a rude awakening," she mused.


	5. In the Face of Anguish

**CHAPTER FIVE**

**"**_In the Face of Anguish_**"**

By the time Sir Verdun came to, Link and Talon had hauled him into the house and had him strapped to a chair. The latter had gone for the guards-a sort of Hyrule Castle Town and surrounding areas' police-leaving him with the trio of youths.

"Where am I...?" babbled the groggy knight.

"Safe...and bound!" Brittany cackled. "Get it? 'Safe and BOUND'? Safe and sound-it's a play on words! Hee hee..." nobody was laughing. "Ah, screw it..."

"You!" barked the man. "When I get out of this, I'll-!"

"You'll be safely secured behind bars in the castle dungeon," Malon crossed her arms over her chest. The man started throwing a fit. He started hopping and rocking back and forth in his chair, screaming like an hysterical maniac that just escaped an asylum. Brittany couldn't help but laugh.

"Dang, I don't know of any _girls_ that could squeal that high of a note," she grinned, causing another round of freakishly high-pitched noises to come burbling up from the knight's throat. That honestly mad it worse, because then the two Hylians started laughing. This ticked Sir Verdun off so much that he started hopping faster in his chair, eventually toppling over and making him face-plant into the floor. A roar of laughter rose up throughout the farm house. Finally, the brunette stopping giggling long enough to go over and kneel beside of the knight.

"Muu fiddle with, muff foo!"

"What was that?" Brittany grabbed hold of his mop of blonde hair. "I didn't quite get that."

"You little witch, fu-mmuufuu!"

Brittany stuffed something in Sir Verdun's mouth. "Tut tut-such language!" she tisked. "Well, it seems fitting that," she wrapped the whip around his head and looped in over the object in his mouth, "someone with such a filthy mouth should have something equally as filthy to plug it up! Unfortunately, I don't think anything in the world is as bad as you, so I had to make do with Mr. Talon's dirty sock."

By now, all sorts of falsetto whimpers and muffled curses were being spewed from the fallen knight. By the time Talon returned with the guards, Brittany and her friends were hugging their ribs and pounding the floor from laughter and huge crocodile tears were flowing down Sir Verdun's face. The guards unbound the man from the chair and clamped some shackles over his wrists and feet. But when they went to remove the whip, Brittany stopped them.

"The horse thief deserves a little punishment, don't you think?"

"Why," one guard asked, "what is this?"

"My sock," Talon pointed out, taking off his boot and holding his leg up for them to see.

"Well, I can't say as I agree with such inhumane torture," one guard snickered at the other, "but I think we can make an exception this time. Go on!"

When Verdun didn't move, but instead held his head up high and grunted, the soldier pushed him on through the door. After one mounted his horse, the second guard pushed the prisoner up onto another horse with the help of Link and Brittany. He finally climbed on behind the man and turned to the group.

"We'll need you to come to the castle shortly for the trial," the guard said. Then, he nudged his horse in the ribs and they headed out with Verdun draped across a horse, bawling his eyes out. When it was all said and done, Brittany let out a groan.

"Oh, my aching arms..."

Malon grinned and shook her head. "I told you to rest yesterday, but you didn't listen!"

"Unnn..."

"Well, it looks like you won't get a chance to work today, anyway," the redhead teased. "You and Link are going to be needed at the castle to press charges. Besides," she said, "this way, you'll get to meet Princess Zelda. She's a really nice girl-you'll like her. _AND_ you'll get a tour of the castle! Now, let's go do something with that hair of yours..."

It soon became apparent that Malon had never had a sister before, because she went wild over the older girl's long brown hair. She brushed it, smoothed it, pleated it, unpleated it, put bows in it, took said bows out and added flower blossoms, and did it up in a dozen different styles before Brittany decided enough was enough. The frustrated girl finally allowed her friend to braid her mop into two long pigtails before-much to Malon's dismay-unceremoniously pulling a straw hat over her head to half-cover the do-and her ears. No use in calling attention away from the trial, right? Finally, they met back up with Link and Talon at the end of the gate and they all headed out.

The town was big-much bigger than she had imagined. People were running all over creation. Bartering, bickering, and buying was everywhere she turned. Little Hylian children with tiny pointed ears were giggling and playing in the sun. Though never the one to like physical contact, she suddenly felt the urge to just glomp one of them in a crushing hug. She shook her head and continued further through the town, weaving this way and that between the merchants' booths and their customers, up the northern steps and through the North Hylian fields. By the time they reached the majestic castle, the sun had already made progress across the sky.

"Dude, this place is HUGE!" Brittany exclaimed. Link and Talon smiled and Malon began to giggle.

"I take it you have never been to a castle before?" Link grinned. The girl shook her head. "Well, this should be quite an experience for you then."

As they made their way up through the gardens, Brittany's hyper streak began to kick in again and every few steps, they had to pry her away from the flowers she was sniffing. She must have said 'hi' about twenty times to each of the guards standing outside of the palace just for the pure heck of it! When Malon and Link had to pull her out of a hedge when she chased after a kitten, they forced her to calm down by clamping their hands over her own.

"What on earth did you give her for breakfast, Malon," huffed an irritated Link, "a whole bowl of sugar?"

"I didn't eat this morning," the brunette piped up. "I'm just naturally hyper for some odd reason!"

Malon nodded as they pulled the girl through the entrance. "She's not lying-you should have seen her yesterday working on the ranch."

"BYEBYEMRGUARDYPERSONS! ...!" was the last thing the Earthling shouted out before she was half-dragged through the doors of the castle. A few guards winced at the sound of the hyperactive screech and shook their heads. The group set off down a series of long halls with Brittany bouncing along the whole way. Everything interested her. The enormous paintings of the Hylian landscape decorating each corridor, the way the orchid rugs squished under her feet, the uniforms of the servants...the hero and the ranchers watched her fascination in amusement until Brittany decided to break into a run and slide across the marbled part of the floor-and slam right into a wall. Then Talon about yanked his hair out.

"What're ya trying to do, kid," the mustachioed man put his hands to his head, "kill yer fool self? We need ya in one piece to testify against Sir Verdun for trying to murder you and Link."

The girl stood up and brushed herself off. "No harm done! See?" she beamed a wild grin before returning to a half-sober state. "But I thought the charges were about attempted horse theft."

Talon shook his head. "He wouldn't be getting the trial today if he had not attacked another knight unprovoked like that. Not to mention nearly sending a woman to an early grave..."

Brittany got the message and tried to be a little more serious-at least until the trial was over with, anyway. But it was so hard not to want to run up and examine every single detail of Hyrule Castle. Link assured her there would be plenty of time after the court proceedings to do all of that, even going so far as to offer himself as a personal tour guide for the rest of the trip if she calmed down, but the maiden was still difficult to reign in her enthusiasm.

Eventually, though, the halls began to change and become a great deal more regal. The vaulted ceilings increased in height. Colossal portraits of the Hylian Royal Family began to mark the walls with row after row of tall, brilliantly polished suits of armor standing attention beneath. Once they made it to a pair of enormous metal doors, Brittany found it hard to tear herself away from the ornate Hylian royal crest etched into the golden portal. They did not have to even explain to the guards why they were there-the shocked looks on their faces revealed they already knew about the case. With a nod to the group, the armored men pushed open the doors and allowed them to go on.

They were no more than five feet inside the chamber before a figure came running up to them.

"Link!" called out a flabbergasted Hylian maiden. She came bounding up to them as fast as her legs could carry her-which was quite a feat considering that she was wearing a floor-length dress and high-heeled slippers. Her long blonde hair fell just short of her waist, and there were various ornaments clinging to her wrists, upper arms, neck, belt and ears. The thin yet intricate tiara on her head and the crested overgarment she wore denoted that she was a member of the nobility. Her azure eyes glimmered with concern.

"Zelda, it's okay!" the hero reassured her. "Everything is fine!"

"No, it is NOT fine, Link!" the princess retorted. "Is it really true that one of my own knights tried to slay one of my best friends?"

"He was trying to steal a horse that we had refused time and again to sell him," Malon intervened. "He threatened us a few days prior about if he couldn't have her, nobody would."

The princess nodded. "I remember you telling me about what he had said, but you and your father thought they were merely idle threats made by a customer that lost out on a deal. I knew Sir Verdun was hot-tempered, but I never would have thought that he would do something like this!"

"Anyway," Talon added, "since he used to come to the ranch as a boy to play with the horses, he knew we wouldn't be up so early. He must have snuck into the barn thinking he'd make off with his prize before we ever got up, but he wasn't expecting someone to be sleeping in there at the time." The rancher motioned towards Brittany who, after being put on the spot as a witness, suddenly sobered up.

The princess, however, smiled serenely and walked up to the girl. "Why, hello! You must be the young woman that Mr. Talon said saved his horse."

"Why do you girls keep calling me 'mister' for, anyway?" the rancher asked.

Never even missing a beat, Brittany grinned and said, "Because you are a nice man that gave me a place to stay." She turned back to Zelda.

"There's no need to be shy," the princess said.

"'Shy'? Her?" Link pointed at the brunette standing beside him. "She must have run up to every guard outside and introduced herself about fifty-eleven times!"

The girl scratched the back of her head. "Yeah, I get that way a lot," she beamed. "I'm naturally hyper most of the time."

Zelda smiled. "I never properly introduced myself. I am Zelda, princess of Hyrule and best friend of Link and Malon. I am sad to say that the knight who assaulted you was of my own noblemen." Brittany shook her head. "May I ask what your name is?"

"Brittany," the girl chimed.

"What an unusual name!" Zelda exclaimed.

"Why does everyone around here say that? Back where I came from, you shout 'Brittany' into a crowd and nearly twenty girls turn around...and for some strange reason, a couple of guys do, too. Maybe it's their girlfriends' names or their sisters' or something..."

Zelda began to giggle, letting Brittany know she was starting to rant again. "I suppose we can skip the rest of the introductions until later. Right now, I need you to tell me what happened when Verdun came into the barn."

And so, the Earthling began to tell the princess about all of the events that had occurred that morning. Now and then, Link would interrupt her to add a few details of his own, but it enthralled the princess nevertheless. Both Brittany and Link wound up getting a bit carried away, going so far as to mimic the steps one another had used during the clash. Finally, after they told about how the attempted thief was captured, Zelda clasped her hands before her face in shock.

"My goodness!" cried the princess. "You would have been a goner had Link not shown up!"

The hero shook his head. "Actually, if Brittany here had not attacked when she did, _I _would have been the one being carted off to the Hyrule Graveyard right about now," the blonde youth turned to the girl beside of him. "From what I saw, she really is a powerful girl. I'm glad she was on my side rather than Sir Verdun's..."

About that time, what sounded like muffled screams could be heard coming from the hall outside. There must have been a scuffle, too, for the sounds of metal crashing and harried footsteps began to intermingle with strained shouts. The doors flew open, barely allowing time enough for Brittany and the Hylians to scurry out of the way, and a pair of flustered guards staggered in-half-dragging, half-carrying a shackled prisoner between them. At first, Brittany did not recognize the squirming figure. Dark hair that had originally been pulled back into an elegant pompadour was now matted on the man's head, with random sprigs of it sticking in every direction except the one in which it was intended. Had it not been for the armor and the crimson of the prisoner's flushed face, she never would have recognized him as the guy whose mouth she had stuffed a sock into not three hours prior.

"Easy now! Just...hurgh...calm _**down**_," one of the soldiers barked as Verdun tried to jerk himself free. The men holding the knight captive had to latch both of their arms around each of the offender's just to keep him from getting loose. When he saw Brittany and Link, however, the two knights that had opened the doors had to help restrain the attempted thief. Princess Zelda finally tired of the charade and, raising her voice as loud as she could, unleashed verbal fury on the nobleman.

"SIR VERDUN!" she lashed out. "CONTROL YOURSELF!" The man immediately ceased his struggle and looked up at the furious princess. The guards quickly stood attention and saluted, with the original two that were acting as wardens still maintaining a one-armed grip on the convict. The princess stepped forward, staring a hole through Verdun with her piercing gaze.

"For _shame_, Sir Verdun-a knight of Hyrule behaving in such a lowly manner, especially one of your rank!" leered the blonde, causing her knight to drop to one knee. "Attempting to steal a horse and alluding apprehension is one matter, but to attack another knight unprovoked! And a civilian woman! You tried to _kill_ them both! Then, instead of gracefully taking your punishment as one of your blood should, you burst into my father's throne room like _THIS..._" the knight bowed his head nearly to rest on his knee. "I have seen all that I have needed. For _shame_, Sir Verdun...for _**shame**_"

The flustered Hylian maiden turned back to her group and, with a nod of her head to Link, she led them up the carpeted aisle. Brittany fell into position right behind Link and the princess after Malon gestured to her to go ahead of them-not that she wanted to hang around back there after witnessing the verbal bashing Sir Verdun received. She gave a glance back. The knight was still on his knees, but his head was slightly upturned, allowing the brunette to catch his sight before he let his gaze fall. As she fell into place behind Link, her mind drifted back to the soldier's face. That unmistakable, agonized, emotionless grimace that one rarely sees and should never have to witness first-hand. She had seen that look many times back in her other realm. Only back there, it had been staring back at her from her own bathroom mirror.

_**Anguish**_. There could be no denying it. Even though the man had attacked her, Brittany knew there was something off about Sir Verdun. When Zelda had cut the knight down for his actions, a pang had ripped through her own insides like an icy blade frozen in the deepest winter. Seeing that agonizing shock stained on Verdun's now extremely pale face just further proved it. It had _HURT_ him...hurt him deeply to have angered the princess so. She may not have understood why he had fought her, but that look of having his whole world crumbling down around him plastered on the soldier's face evoked her sympathy.

Deep down, she believed he was probably a good knight-loyal to both duty and country.

...But that one mistake lost it all.


	6. The Empath

**CHAPTER SIX**

**"**_The Empath_**"**

The trial didn't go like any trials she had witnessed before-not that she had been IN a trial, mind you, she had just gone to watch one for a class while she was still in high school. Instead, they all met before the King of Hyrule-who, after already hearing Zelda 'break bad' on the knight, understood the situation. Of course, Brittany, Link and the ranchers had to recap their stories, but, after comparing them to what they had told Zelda and the report Talon had made out earlier in the day, the trial was soon over. With a stern wave of his wrist, the portly monarch sent the prisoner off to the dungeon for later sentencing. Sir Verdun bowed his head as he walked by the princess, but shot a menacing glare at Brittany and Link. Once the guards had absconded with the prisoner, the court broke and a lighter atmosphere swelled within the throne room.

"So," spoke the King in a gruff voice, "you are the guest that Talon and his daughter took in..."

"Yes, Your Highness," the girl said.

"They say you have never been to Hyrule before, is that correct?"

Brittany nodded.

"Well, then," the heavyset royal gazed down at her from his throne, "how do you like my kingdom?"

"I have only seen a tiny piece from what I have been told," she fibbed, "so far, though, it really is an amazing place!"

What she said wasn't a TOTAL lie. It was true. Hyrule WAS a spectacular land, and she had been told she had only seen a smidgeon of the realm. However, with as many times as she indulged herself in the game world, she knew the place from one edge of the map to the next-or, well, some of the major places, anyway. Okay, maybe she hadn't seen all of it, so it shouldn't be considered a fib...

While Brittany was caught up in her own mental battle, the monarch let out a bellow. "Well, that IS good! It would be such a shame should your very first trip to our homeland be an unfortunate one."

"Speaking of which..." Malon turned to Link. "You promised you take her on a tour of the town."

"Oh, yeah! I forgot," Link grinned. "But I also made plans with Zelda for today...that's where I was going this morning-to meet her at Lake Hylia for some fishing."

"Oh, that's okay!" Brittany waved him off. "I can go back to the ranch and get some more work done-"

"NO!" Malon promptly interjected. "You are a guest here, and I will not have you work yourself into a frazzle again! What kind of a host do you take me for?"

"But I LIKE working..."

"Hey, I have an idea," the group turned around. The princess poked Link in the shoulder. "Why don't we _**both**_ give her a tour? That way, everybody will be happy!"

Link nodded. "Sure! What do you say, Brittany? Will you let Zelda and me show you around?"

Brittany giggled. "Why not?"

Even though the morning had gotten off to a rough start, all in all, Brittany was beginning to like her first full day in Hyrule. First, Zelda had given her a tour of the castle, reveling in stories of when she and Link were younger. It seemed like each place they visited had some special meaning to the two of them, be it the pestering the cooks in the royal kitchen or watching the view from the tops of the exterior castle walls. Zelda always had a tale to spin, which pleased Brittany to no end.

Once the American had been down a handful of corridors, however, she began to recognize some of the places they were visiting were found in the game. Several rooms were added, of course, and a few different stories were accessible in reality, but the main floor had been almost completely mapped out in her brain. Once she began to blurt out different places in the castle as she approached them, though, the two Hylians accompanying her began to grow suspicious. When they asked her how she knew about the area without having ever visited it, however, she just shrugged it off and said it was a lucky guess. It did not truly satisfy the duo, but as soon as they reached the inner garden, their minds became focused elsewhere.

"How beautiful!" exclaimed the girl as she ran over to a bush of bright yellow flowers. "You have a garden inside of your house, too? What kind of story does this place hold?"

No answer came from the maiden. Fearing she had said something wrong, she was about to apologize when she saw the princess and Link move to the center of the garden. The both of them had a sort of nostalgic glow to their faces as they stared over toward a wall. Brittany walked over to look.

"See something I don't?" she joked.

The noblewoman shook her head. "No, it's just...this place has more powerful memories than any place in the castle to us-perhaps, more than all of the other places in Hyrule combined."

"What, this place?" the girl looked around. "Why is this garden so special?"

"Because," Link began, "it's where we last saw Ezlo and Vaati."

Brittany's eyes widened in interest. "Yeah, I remember you telling me about Ezlo last night. The Picori-turned-hat-turned-sage, right?"

Link nodded. "This is where we parted company," the boy's eyes fell. There was a strange look on the Link's face. His mouth was partially open, as if he were about to speak, yet a certain look of concern seemed to hold the words back. Brittany had a feeling it had to do with Vaati, since he was one of the main villains in her old video games. A slightly wicked smile tugged at the corners of her lips as her brow narrowed to a knowing gaze.

_Well,_ the maiden contemplated, _it's obvious that they don't believe the whole 'lucky guess' theory about my knowing my way around. Maybe I can play on that without having to bring up my past..._ Then, it hit her. The perfect way to get by with her knowledge of the terrain without having to reveal her past. She had to bite her lower lip to keep from snickering.

"There's more to it, isn't there?" she spoke. Link's head snapped up. "Do not lie to me, Link. I can see something is troubling you."

By now, a glimmer of concern has crossed Zelda's face. "What do you mean? Why would Link-"

"Not just Link, Zelda-I can sense it in you, too, my dear princess." _Ooh, that's good! Make yourself sound all mystical, Brittany,_ her mind squealed. "It is as clear as..."

_Hmm...I need some imagery...something to catch they're attention. Wizards use a lot of symbolic mumbo-jumbo, right? _The girl quickly scanned the area around her while she was still close to the shrub. Then, she spotted an unopened flower on the bush. _Perfect!_ she carefully broke the tiny bud off, then gracefully, ever-so-slowly, rose to her feet.

"It is as clear to me that you both are hiding something," her eyes never left the flower in her hand, "just as this bud hides its true beauty from me."

_Oh, that's good...now just reel 'em in!_

"What are you talking about, Brittany?" Link said. "Did that little slam into the wall make you hit your head?"

"You see, this bud looks all green on the outside when, in reality, it is merely a package for the golden glow beneath it," she sunk her thumbnail into the pod. "It seems simple from the outside, but it has actually put up tough defenses around the secrets that lie beneath. See?" She pulled open a section, exposing the petals underneath. "Like this bud, you, too, have something hidden from the rest of the world, do you not? Most just take it at face value and move along. However, there are those like me that search for the hidden truth in all things-the secrets behind the walls your minds have erected to protect whatever burden you are harboring..."

Brittany only needed to take one look at her companions to prove the her little theory correct. Both were standing completely still, their faces pale. Zelda had a hand to her mouth, and she kept flashing a nervous glance at Link every few seconds.

_Man, I'm good..._

"Link, I saw how you wriggled in that chair at supper last night. You started acting strange the moment your grandfather mentioned Vaati. It's true, then," Brittany stared right into his sapphire orbs, "isn't it?"

"Isn't what?" Link retorted, a lilt of concern raising in his voice.

"That Vaati is alive."

The moment the words left her lips, she knew she'd hit her mark. Zelda gasped and Link's face clouded with shock. A smirk curved on her lips and she left the mysticism behind in favor of her returning hyper streak.

"I was right, wasn't I?" she beamed.

"Y-yeah," Link sputtered, "but how did _you_ know about that? Only Zelda, the king and I know about Vaati's being alive. Well, maybe the other Minish, too..."

_HOT DAMN, I WAS RIGHT!_

The hero was lost in thought, but the princess was ready for some answers. Stepping in front of Link, she narrowed her brow at the brunette. "Just who ARE you, Brittany?" the noblewoman asked. "You say that you have never been to Hyrule before, and yet you know most of the castle layout. And you won't say anything about your past except that Din and Nayru brought you here, yet how convenient it is that they both disappeared merely days before you came here."

Okay, Zelda had caught here right there. She knew that if she didn't do something fast, the princess was going to see through her cryptic speech and realize that the Earthling was hiding something herself.

"I never said that their names were Din or Nayru," Brittany sobered up, "I only told Malon and Link what they looked like. I don't even know if whoever you are talking about are even the ones that brought me here!"

"She's telling the truth, Zelda," Link joined in. "She doesn't have a clue who brought her here. Heck, she's never even seen _blue hair_ before, and Nayru is the only one around here that has that!"

"I have too seen blue hair before! It's just dyed...nobody's hair is naturally THAT color-"

"Nayru's is," the princess interrupted. "But enough of that-you still have not answered my question, Brittany," she threw one of her piercing glares at the girl. "Who are you and why are you here?"

_So much for mystic mumbo-jumbo...looks like I underestimated Zelda. I should have known better, what with the Triforce increasing her intuition like that..._

"I told you already," Brittany sighed and plopped down on the ground, "my name is Brittany. As for what I am doing here, I wish I knew! All I can remember is those two girls coming out of nowhere, whisking me away from certain doom, and a bright light. The next thing I know, the sun is blaring in my face and I'm laying in the middle of a forest somewhere."

At that, the brunette gazed down at the flower in her hand and a twinge of sadness sprung up from her heart. "Look at me...I just desecrated a poor little bud trying to prove a point," she reached over beneath the flower bush and began sweeping fallen debris away with the side of her hand.

"What are you doing?" asked Link.

"I'm over here going on about symbolism and I just killed a flower in the process," she clenched her fingers into the rich soil around the shrubs roots. "I destroyed an innocent bud...it never even had a chance to blossom." A sorrowful look crossed her face. In a way, she had done just what her mother had done to her-she had ended a life for her own personal gain. The feeling of emptiness began to creep up within her ribcage again. "The least I can do is bury it so that it can fertilize its companion flowers..."

Just as she was about to drop the desecrated plant into the hole she had made, a hand closed upon her wrist. Looking up, Brittany saw the comforting face of the smiling princess.

"There is no need for that," she said, motioning for the brunette to give her the flower. Brittany did so and rose to her feet as Zelda cradled the tiny bud in her palms. "Watch." Cupping her hands over the broken stem, she closed her eyes and concentrated. Suddenly, much to Brittany's surprise, a golden light began to emit from the princess' clasped fingers. It lasted but for a second of two, disappearing as quickly as it came.

"What...? What did you-"

The blonde maiden smiled. "See?" she unfolded her hands, revealing a perfectly healthy new blossom the color of the summer sunshine. "No harm done."

Amazed, Brittany reached forward to touch the plant, but shakily withdrew before she could. Zelda and Link nodded for her to continue, so, ever so cautiously, she eased her hand forth. Gingerly, as if afraid that she would cause the bloom to wilt under her touch, she let her fingertips glide over its silky petals. Completely whole-no harm done, just like the Hylian had said.

"How did you...?" Brittany gawked at the flower.

"There's a lot more to Zelda than most folks think," laughed the hero. "Her Light Force can do wondrous things. It helped Ezlo restore the land once I defeated Vaati-who, by the way, is still alive."

The girl drew her hand back from the blossom and turned to her new friends. "I never meant to hurt the flower," she admitted. "It's strange, how much sadness I can feel from merely hurting a flower. I guess it's because I was using it for my own selfish gain, because I never felt that way whenever I used to pick them as a child for my mother and grandmother..."

The princess raised a brow. "You could _feel_ the flower's pain?"

Brittany shrugged. "Not really...It's more like," she paused, thinking about how to explain. "It's more like this creeping sort of emptiness that crawls up through the bottom of my gut and spreads throughout my chest. Not so much pain as...well, I really don't know just how to put it."

"Hmm..." the princess brought a curled fist to her lips in thought. "Do you gets the same feeling from animals? Or maybe people?"

The brunette snorted. "It depends on the situation. Sometimes, I've walked by people I have never even met and gotten gripped by those feelings with such intensity that I nearly vomited," seeing a slightly grossed-out look on the Hylians' faces, she tried to downplay her speech. "Other times, when people are writhing in pain, I'll feel nothing. It doesn't happen all of the time, but when it does, I can sometimes start to feel the agony myself."

The princess' eyes lit up. With an enlightened glimmer in her azure orbs, she gave a quick glance over to Link. "You know, I think she may be an Empath."

"An Empath? Really?" a slight glimpse of shock roving over the boy's visage. "Wow, no _**WONDER**_ Din and Nayru wanted to bring her here!"

"Wait, what are we talking about?" Brittany cocked her head to the side.

"Brittany, it sounds like you are an Empath!"

"Yeah, yeah-I got that part," the puzzled maiden replied. "Mind explaining why you think this?"

"Do you know what an Empath is?" Zelda asked.

"Yeah, isn't that supposed to be a person sensitive enough to feel others' pain?"

"Yes, it is."

"Now, hold on just one minute!" the flustered brunette waved her arms in protest. "I can't feel others' pain! Heck, I can barely feel my own..."

_If I could sense what others' were thinking, I would have known better than to drive through two states just to pick up my homicidal mother..._

Zelda shook her head. "Not all Empaths feel another's physical pain-mostly, they can only sense the strongest of dangerous emotional vibes."

"Care to explain?"

"You see," the princess began, "Empaths are very rare. They can detect the emotional anguish of a living being. Often, this may manifest itself in the Empath as both mental AND physical pain. It can be conveyed over extremely long distances, especially if an Empath is connected to the person that feels it. It's like a very powerful form of intuition."

"But, then why couldn't I sense it with my..." she had been about to say 'family' when she stopped herself. Darn it, she was NOT going to get her past involved if she could help it! "...with everyone?"

"An Empath cannot choose whom he or she shall connect," replied Zelda. "Only the purity of the emotions can be sensed. If an emotion is not entirely sincere, then it will never be strong enough to affect an Empath." The Hylian maiden gave a knowing smile. "That's why powerful lies are so difficult to hide from an Empath. The older and more experienced an Empath is, the easier it is for them to understand what another is going through, for they have usually experienced a similar situation themselves."

Confused, Brittany crossed her arms in front of her chest. "So, what does all of this mean, anyway?"

Now, it was Link's turn to add something. "There is an old folktale that the most talented Empaths could 'see' into people's hearts," the hero said. "They were very powerful beings said to be gifted with such talents at birth. Their abilities could make them into great teachers, doctors or even kings or queens because of their connection to people. However, it was just this that destroyed them-corrupt rulers feared that the Empaths would see through their lies and warn the people, so the Empaths were all condemned as demons and murdered."

"Perhaps that is why you were brought here, Brittany!" Zelda beamed. "It makes perfect sense. The way that the Triplets are connected with the world around them would explain why they brought you here."

"But, I'm nobody special..." Brittany said, her eyes downcast. "Hell, just look at me. I'm nothing but an overweight kid with glasses and a bum knee," her voice lowered to a whisper. "They should have left me where they found me..."

"No, you aren't," Link said. "Not just anybody would have risked her own life for people she barely knew, especially just to get back a horse!"

"Link's right, Brittany," Zelda chimed in. "Talon told me about all of the hard work you put in yesterday on the ranch, too."

Link smiled. "You see? You've not even been here for two days and you already have made a huge impact on the people you've met."

"Sure, by sending a guy to jail for one mistake and probably ruining his career in the process," scowled Brittany.

Zelda frowned. "Sir Verdun deserved to imprisonment for what he did."

"I'm not sure now that he was even going to kill me!" shouted the maiden. "He may have just been trying to knock me out so he could get away. I don't know about you, Link, but when someone tries to deliver a final blow, do they always use the flat of their sword?"

At this, a grimace of shock took hold of Link. "Come to think of it," he turned to Zelda, "it was much easier to block his attack than in normal sparring practice. She might be right."

"The princess shook her head. "Still, he did fight you-"

"Because I downed him and Link rushed in with his sword drawn. There was no way he would get out of arrest if a witness caught him."

"You make a valid point, Brittany," Zelda agreed. "Unfortunately, he did attack you, as well as try to steal a horse...Why are you defending him so?" Brittany lowered her gaze to the ground, just as she had with the flower. The princess nodded. "I see...you sensed something about him, didn't you?"

The girl nodded.

"Well, I cannot excuse his actions," Brittany raised her head and went to protest, but Zelda held out her hand. "BUT...I may be able to grant him leniency. I promise that I shall speak to Father before his sentencing."

Satisfied, Brittany rose to her feet.

"But for now, why don't we go finish this tour of yours?" Zelda giggled. "Perhaps we can learn a little more about each other, too."


	7. Daydreams & Nightmares

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

**"**_Daydreams & Nightmares_**"**

Zelda's theory about her being an Empath puzzled Brittany. During her life on Earth, she had always been an oddball. As far back as she could remember, she had always been an extremely sensitive to the world around herself. She could tell when it was going to rain simply by looking at the color of the plants-their hues always seemed to grow in intensity as a storm approached. Animals were unnaturally attracted to her presence, too. Did that have something to do with being an Empath, as Zelda called it? If so, then why did she have such a hard time reading her own parents? It was all so confusing.

At least the tour got her mind off of things. By the time the trio had left Hyrule Castle, Brittany's hyper streak seemed to have rubbed off on her new friends. They darted from building to building, sometimes telling her what the shop was for or listening to Brittany tell them. Now and then, they would riddle her with more tales about when they were children and the adventures they had (after noticing the way it pained her new friend to speak about her past, Zelda refused to press her about it). Eventually, they stopped inside of a bakery for a lunch of bread and jam-thank whomever was that saw fit to put strawberries in Brittany's new realm!-continuing their reminiscing long into their meal.

As enchanted as she was by her new friends, the excitement of the day had really taken its toll on the girl. She tried to listen for as long as she could, but it soon became obvious that her body had other plans. It's not like she just fell over when Link was right in the middle of explaining how he had won his first tournament-oh, no, she was more subtle than that. At first, it was just slumping down bit by bit in her chair, then heavily resting her head in her hand on the table. Gradually, she found herself drawing closer and closer to the wooden surface until lack of sleep and a full stomach allowed her eyes to remain open no longer.

She struggled to stay awake for as long as she could, but the comforting din of chatter and the warmth of the bakery's atmosphere was all too much. Smiling, she could still hear the lively discussion going on between the princess and swordsman. They obviously wouldn't be missing her company anytime soon. Her mind began to wonder as their voices faded into a steady hum, punctuated now and then by an unnaturally emphasized note that may have been her imagination at work. How long was it since she had been able to just sit down and talk to someone like that? Not just an occasional blab or desperate, absent-minded rant that would be forgotten the moments the words flew from her mouth, but a real, down-to-earth, quality conversation?

_Hmm...probably not since Jay and I were back in high school..._

Visions of her old life began to whirl around inside her mind, eventually materializing as a large blue-and-white building surrounded by several lots full of cars. The heavy steel doors opened and she could see herself wandering through a labyrinth of blinding, tiled corridors. Familiarity rushed over the maiden as her feet brought her to a single beige door with a tiny rectangular window in the center. As she stepped forward, the portal drew back of its own accord, allowing her passage into the classroom behind it. That's exactly what it was-a classroom full of matching desks, complete with a television set, a towering filing cabinet, and a rack of humble bookshelves bursting from its load. Following the path she had taken for over a year, she weaved her way through the myriad of desks and took that fateful seat beside of the bookshelf.

At first, she pleased herself with just sitting sideways in her old desk, the way she always had. Even though the room had been empty, she now felt another presence take its place in the desk next to her. She knew who it was...how could she ever forget? She did not want to turn around and face him, not after what she had been through...but her body refused to listen.

She kept her eyes facing the cabinet beside the bookshelves, desperately hoping that the presence would dissipate before she had finished her rotation. Unfortunately, the all-too-familiar greeting she had been expecting rang through her ears like the peel of a funeral bell.

"_Hello, Nee-san..._"

"Why can't you just go away and leave me alone?"

"_It's been awhile, Brittany...I'm sorry I was out of school for so long, but you know how it is with Mom and all..._"

Her heart _**ached**_. It had been so long since she heard that voice, but it was one she desperately needed rid of. "Can I not have peace from you even now?"

"_Don't you want to talk to me? C'mon, why don't you show me what you've been drawing?_"

Looking down, Brittany discovered that a notebook had mysteriously appeared in her lap. Shakily, she reached for it, but her arms were trembling so bad that she could scarcely even touch it. That binder...so many memories! There was no mistaking it. She took the notebook into her hands and began to leaf through the pages. Inside of each plastic sheath lay one of her own creations. To some, the pictures may have seemed half-drawn, disproportioned attempts at manga characters-but not to her. No...no these were her _**children!**_ The expressions, the poses, the pieces of her _heart_ that she had poured so many countless hours and energy into! Lovingly, she ran a finger down one of the coverings, that emptiness creeping up inside of her again.

"_I kept them all...I kept every one you gave me. I loved your drawings, Brittany. They brought so much comfort to my world when Mom died..._"

His words and the return of her drawings nearly cleaved her heart in two. She hesitantly scanned the remaining pages, lingering over each one and praying that they would never be taken from her again. These few things that she had created, that her own two hands had fashioned directly from her own mind, heart and soul-the one useful thing that she had ever done in her whole existence while on Earth. Finally, taking the last leaflet in her hand, she took in a deep breath and prepared to turn it over.

"_You were my best friend, Brittany. My Nee-san, my artist...my hope...one of the few people that ever cared if I lived or died..._"

"THEN WHY DID YOU USE ME?" she screeched, the emptiness inside her choking out her breath. "WHY DID YOU SAY YOU LOVED ME, THEN GO TO GET MARRIED TO SOMEBODY ELSE?"

She let the last page fall from her hands as her fury ran from her lips.

"Was it because I was not skinny enough? Lord in Heaven-how much I tried! I would have gladly starved myself for you, to be the woman you wanted me to be! I would have changed my clothes-I did change my clothes! I wore make-up! I got up an hour early every morning to fix my hair in hopes that you would be here to see me! Then your mother died...I could not help you because I feared my own mother's judgment! When I told you how I felt, I was so ashamed of my weak, ugly self that I would run from you. But you could have chased me. You only did once...that day of graduation...after you hugged me..."

Her hands-no, her entire body was quivering with tremors. She grabbed hold of her head, sinking her fingernails into the soft flesh of her temples in attempt to block out the flood of memories. The binder fell to the floor. Her body began to jerk, nearly folding her in half...the same way it did during her last summer on Earth...the way her mother believed she was faking her sorrow...

Memories began to overwhelm her. So cold...she had needed warmth so badly back then. She remembered, back when she had moved in with her grandparents that summer of the divorce proceedings, the days after her graduation were so cold. It had been boiling hot outside but an incessant feeling of ice plagued her body. She would lie down on the waterbed at night, unclothed so she could be as close to the warmth of the water as possible. But it was a poor substitute for the warmth she really needed. His warmth-_ANYBODY'S_ warmth! All she wanted was for him to wrap his arms around her one more time, to toy with her hair the way he used to and tell her that everything was going to be alright. That what had happened between her parents was not her fault, that she was loved...

Love. Did it even exist? Maybe to some. But deep inside of her heart, there was a pang that she would never experience that warmth that she had so desperately tried to absorb from an inanimate object because no one else would ever be there to give it to her. To her, at least...whatever mate that had been planned for her must have died long ago...

"_Turn the last page, Brittany._"

Still jerking violently, she eased down and managed to take hold of her precious binder. Then, the last plastic sheath falling back onto the others, she let the page turn and join its fellows. There, on the last page, was the first drawing she had ever made him. The one that he left with her for safekeeping. It was a Shinigami-a Japanese version of the Grim Reaper-drawing his zanpakuto (a type of sword) and readying himself for battle against an onslaught of wavering, ghostlike hands. She had never colored it in. Like the others etched in graphite, her one inked drawing stood staring back at her through shades of black and white.

Black and white...nothing in her life was as ever so cut and dry like those colors. Her mother's favorite color had been black, she recalled. Black like her dark, malicious heart. The brunette prefered white herself. After long ago learning to love the cold, embracing it even, she had done so when her hope of finding that warmth died. She grew to love snow the most: snow, honest snow that never failed to show just whom or what had trudged which path. Snow could never lie to her. The cold it brought with it helped her to think straight, to keep her mind from wandering to far from the matter at hand. If it hadn't been for her problem with her body fat, she probably would have gone streaking through it in a bikini!

"Jay...why didn't you choose me? Was a slender body that was easy to bed more sacred to you than loyalty and friendship...?" Brittany's fit increased in intensity, causing her to writhe in her seat like a woman ablaze. "I loved you...but love is never enough, is it? I could not offer you a family, a pretty wife, or a talented lover. All that I had was love. Instead, you led me on and abandoned my friendship..."

"_Brittany..._"

"Will you never stop, Jay? Will I never be rid of you?"

"_Brittany..._"

"Why will you not leave me to suffer alone, like you did?"

"_Brittany...!"_

"WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME TO DIE, JAY!"

"_**BRITTANY!**_"

The brunette shoved hard against what she thought was the filing cabinet and her desk went sailing backwards-with her still trapped inside. Or, she THOUGHT it was her desk, anyway. A couple of surprised shouts resounded through the air and the sound of chairs scraping against a wooden floor brought her to her senses. She opened her tightly clenched eyes as a flurry of green, pink, beige and brown surrounded her. Finally, the garbled voices began to piece together into whole, separate sentences in her ears.

"Oh, my Goddesses! Brittany, are you alright?"

"What happened? Did she have a seizure?"

"What was she screaming about?"

"Brittany! Brittany-WAKE UP!"

Still slightly jerking, she felt several pairs of strong arms and hands pulling her to her feet. She could recall a chair being pushed beneath her and her body being forced down into it. Her body itself, however, had not yet woken up with the rest of her. Instead, a tingling numbness was drawing throughout her being-the only place half with it was her mind.

She gazed up with her groggy, sorrowful eyes and gave a quick scan of the room. No desks. No bookshelves. No blinding white-tiled classroom. Just a chaotic scene in the Hylian bakery and a dozen worried faces staring back at her own. Among them were Link and Princess Zelda.

"Whu..." she tried to regain control of her mouth long enough to form words. "What happened...?"

"You mean you don't remember?" shouted Zelda. "One minute, Link and I find you've dozed off during our conversation. The next minute, you scream and kick the table over!"

"You started flailing around on the ground like you were possessed," said a large man with a apron tied around his stomach, who was probably one of the bakers judging from the chef's toke on his head.

"I...I did that...?" Brittany said the moment the scene started to register.

"What happened to you, Brittany?" Link asked, his face pale.

The maiden looked at the overturned table and chairs. A few passers-by that had heard the commotion now were beginning to peek inside to see what was going on. A ripped flour bag rested in the hand of the male baker, white powder splotching his brown apron-most likely burst in his haste to attend to the girl. No more high school...just a mess in a Hylian bakery caused by one of her jerking fits.

"Oh, cool! Look at her EARS!"

_Oh, no, not this AGAIN..._Brittany looked down to find that, sure enough, the straw hat had been knocked off of her head and trampled during the event. Pretty soon, she found her ears being poked and prodded by interested bakers.

"My, I've never seen anything like those before!" the woman baker added. "Where did you come from, Honey?"

"Long story..." the brunette forced herself to her feet, staggering from the dizziness that usually accompanied such fits. She walked over and helped right the table before apologizing and stumbling out the door, hat in hand. The bakers shouted a quick word of concern for the girl as Zelda paid their bill, then the two blonde youths ran out of the shop after their friend. Near the entrance of the town they found her (who, after hearing several more comments on her ears, had pulled the torn hat back on top of her head).

"Brittany, what WAS that back there?" Zelda asked, panting from having to run after her friend.

"One of my jerking fits," she scowled, an exasperated huff coming from her breath. "I started having them about a year ago. Most of them quit after about five months, but I've still had a few now and then."

"What caused that?"

"I don't know. I just had a lot of crazy junk happen to me back then and they up and started. At first, is was to keep myself from snapping and hurting someone, but eventually..." she gazed toward the marketplace, watching a fearful child cling to its mother after having witnessed Brittany's incident. "They just started happening at random later, okay? They'd just show up after certain nightmares or after I'd have a bad spat with my mother. I can't control 'em-they just happen. End of story."

The Earthling crossed her arms and started staggering out of the town. "Your mother? Nightmares...?" Link thought aloud. "Hey, Brittany-wait up!" He and Zelda easily caught up to the girl who, despite her lack of energy, was still hobbling away. "Did your mother have something to do with why you don't like talking about your past?"

The girl stopped in her tracks. Whirling around, both anger and exhaustion blazing in her eyes, she stomped over to Link.

"You wanna know about my past?" she growled, more animal than human. "Fine, here it is: I got ripped out of my own world by a pair of strange girls just as my mother was about to kill me, alright? My father made her suffer, so she wanted him to suffer back. The worst way she could figure out how to do that was murder me-her own child! And this was after YEARS of being trapped beneath her judgmental, controlling eye where I couldn't even MOVE without her say-so! I was nothing but a bargaining chip for what she wanted, even if it cost me my life..."

Without waiting to see either Link or Zelda's reactions, Brittany turned back around and stomped off with renewed force. Had she have waited, she would have seen the deepest, crushing looks of both pity and terror riveted on the Hylians' faces. They immediately sprinted forward and Link caught hold of her.

"Brittany-look at me!" the hero grabbed her by the shoulders and tried to get her to face him, but she just turned her head away. Heaving a sigh, he relaxed his grip but did not let her go. "We're sorry...if we had known just how horrible your past was, we never would have pushed you to tell us."

"Link's right, Brittany," Zelda murmured as she took her place beside the boy. "I knew that there was a pain in your eyes when you spoke of it, so we stopped pestering you about it. I am so sorry that your trip here has ended so badly..."

Brittany shrugged. "Meh, no big deal," she gave an empty laugh. "Beats lying in a casket somewhere, right?"

Neither Hylian was the least amused by her morbid sense of humor. "Nothing is funny about death, Brittany," Link said. "I've had a lot of different adventures, from here to Holodrum and Labrynna, and I can tell you-death is NOTHING to laugh about!"

The girl turned back around to face him. "Then can you tell me why my mother was laughing when she tried to kill me?"

They could not help but pity her. With all of the adversities that Link had faced, and the death of Zelda's mother...well, none of them seemed to compare to the suffering plastered on their friend's face. Even though neither of them were Empaths, they could almost feel the sorrow that clouded her eyes.

"I'll tell you what, Brittany," Zelda said. "We'll take you back to the ranch to get your things, then you can come stay with me for the night."

"Why would you want to do that?" the brunette asked. "I'm just a stranger..."

"No, you aren't!" the princess replied. "You are mine...and Link's friend. Besides, Malon wanted you to stay off of your leg. If you are not at the ranch, you can't work there. I'm sure she will be more than happy to let us borrow you for one night."

Brittany gave a sad smile, but sort of tweaked it into a smirk. "I'll go with you on ONE condition."

"What's that?" was the puzzled reply.

"Can I have a honey sandwich when we get there? Honey's one of my favorite foods."

Zelda and Link beamed a grin at her. "Sure," the princess giggled. "I'll make it myself."

"You better use the whole jar, Zelda," Link laughed, "because she eats honey with just a little bit of bread!"

"Yah!" cheered a smiling Brittany who, at the thought of having two new friends and her favorite snack, began to feel like the day was going to end better, after all.


	8. A Horse, of Course

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

**"**_A Horse, of Course_**"**

The moment the trio arrived on the ranch, Brittany felt just a wee bit reenergized from the smell of the cut grass and sweet summer hay. The sun now began to cast long shadows behind the fence, even though it was still daylight. As they walked further inside the homestead, the girl sucked in a deep breath of fresh air and let out a comforting sigh.

"You seem to like it here," Link noticed. Brittany nodded her head.

"I grew up on a farm. My mother would never let me play with the cows because she said they would trample me, but here," she walked up to one particularly lazy beast and stroked its flank, "these pampered creatures wouldn't hurt a fly...even if they weren't too lazy to swat them." The cow let out a low moo as a horse came running up.

"Oh, how beautiful!" Zelda cried out as the stallion came into view. "What a magnificent animal!"

Brittany held out her hand and clicked her tongue, immediately grabbing the horse's attention. Giving a long and proud whinny, the creature shook its head and trotted over to the maiden. It was a tall, strong animal-most likely the offspring of a warhorse. It's coat was a vibrant, fiery red, and its silken mane and tail were a rich chestnut in color. Long bristled hair the same shade as its mane draped down its legs and over its hooves, trimmed about an inch before it brushed the ground. The only fault one might have seen in it was a diamond-shaped speck of white dotting its nose and a few tiny blots on its rump. She immediately recognized it as the horse she had rescued earlier and could now see why Sir Verdun would covet such an animal. As she reached out her hand to pet it, however, the spirited beast nabbed hold of her straw hat and ripped it off her head.

"Hey!" her hands went to her uncovered noggin. "Give that back!"

Another snort from the stallion and it moved back a few steps. Brittany made a swipe at her hat, but that just caused the brute to back up just a bit more. She would reach out, and then the horse would move again. This whole little dance happened several more times before Brittany began to think he was keeping her hat on purpose.

"You know, I think he's playing with you," Link suggested.

"Playing, my foot!" she lunged for the horse. "Gimme my hat!"

The next thing the girl knew, she was face-first on the ground and the stallion had bolted off with the straw bonnet. Annoyed, she climbed to her feet and dashed after him as best she could manage (considering her sore knee). The horse and maiden wound up scrambling about the farm, the beast zigzagging this way and that and Brittany yelling for him to stop, until they reached the barn. Just as the brute reached the barn, a flash of red of another sort appeared.

"What in Hyrule...?" sputtered Malon as the horse dashed by her, followed by an irritated, limping Brittany.

"Get back here, you smark-alleck!"

"Brittany?" the redhead gasped out a question. Grabbing her by the arm, she brought the brunette to a halt. "What are you doing?"

The girl whirled around. "Trying to catch the sorry thing that stole my hat!"

Malon took one look down the barn aisle and began to giggle. Brittany frowned, but the rancher merely shook her head and smiled. "Come with me," she motioned for her to follow and, leading her through the stable, eventually stopping in front of a certain stall. Inside, the guilty stallion was shaking his head and rearing back. His whinnies almost sounded like laughter. Brittany darted forward the moment all four of the beast's legs were back on the ground and yanked her hat out of its thieving mouth. She would have put it back on her head but it was covered in horse slobber with a big chunk ripped out of it. The stallion before her happily munched on the bite he had taken.

"Now, that's just adding insult to injury!" Brittany shouted, waving her fist in front of the beast (not that she was going to hit him, she is just very animated with her hands). Malon began to giggle louder at the duo.

"I see you two have met," she grinned, making her way into the stall. She stroked the horse's nose, earning a comforting snort for her deed. "He loves to play games. You wouldn't believe at the times he has made off with one of the workers' lunches or my clean laundry. One night, he got himself tangled in a sheet I had hung out to dry and Dad came running in the house thinking that a ghost was after him."

"Pain in the butt," Brittany muttered under her breath. The horse let out another of those bold, laughing whinnies. She reached over and began to stroke its neck-she rarely stayed angry for very long. "To think I rescued this little booger from being stolen when he is a thief himself! Maybe I should have let Sir Verdun make off with you-you'd have been quite the pair of rogues." Another whinny-laugh and Brittany began to fiddle with its mane.

"He likes you," grinned Malon. "It's rare to ever see him take up with anyone right off the bat like that."

"Who, this rascal? Naw, he's probably just looking for something else to pilfer while I'm not paying attention," the Earthling said, looking down to make sure nothing of value was hanging on her person. She placed one hand on her glasses' frame to prevent their becoming the stallion's latest snack.

Link and Zelda finally caught up to Brittany. She could hear the princess chattering on about the 'lovely animals' as they strolled through the barn. They found the stable everyone was in, though, once Link pried her away from a particularly dapper painted mare.

"Ah! Princess Zelda, what a nice surprise!" Malon beamed. "Come to suggest another horse for your father again, or are you here on a visit?"

"I am merely here for amusement, Malon," the blonde maiden chirped, "and to visit another of my good friends."

Malon smiled and, taking the bucket of feed she had in her free hand, dumped it over into the stallion's trough. The creature took some coaxing away from its newfound friend, but the smell of corn and oats finally won out over his affections and he greedily devoured his supper. During that time, Malon had taken a curry comb down from a tiny hanger located on the outside of the stall and handed it to Brittany.

"Here, why don't you give him a good brushing? He loves being pampered."

"Me? Pamper this spoiled thing?" said the American in mock distain. A wide grin that she had been holding back soon spread itself from one of her round ears to the next and she went at her task with a flourish. A soft snort from the horse only increased her fervor.

Malon crossed her arms and leaned back against the stall. She watched as the brunette, brush in hand, began to gently smooth down the flank of the creature. The girl worked with not so rough a grip as to discomfort the animal, yet firm enough to bring forth a sleek shine on his fiery coat. The rancher smiled.

"I thought you said you've never been around horses before," she mused.

"I haven't," the stallion lifted its head in attempt to nuzzle Brittany's face again, "but I _**have**_ been around animals all my life. My mother never let me near the cattle unless a fence was between us, but my grandfather would sometimes have a sick one that I would help with. Plus, I've had dogs, cats, fish, birds, crickets, caterpillars-I even had an ant farm! I've taken care of about any sort of creature you can think of-except reptiles and spiders because my mother was afraid of them."

As the smiling girl began to amuse herself with the brushing, Malon noticed a look of concern on the faces of the blonde Hylians. When Zelda motioned for her to follow, Malon excused herself and headed out of the stall after them. By the time she reached the end of the barn, Link was propped up against the doorway and Zelda had her hand to her mouth.

"Oh, no, the dreaded hand-to-the-mouth," she gestured toward the princess. "Okay, what happened?"

"Malon, just how much do you know about Brittany?" Zelda asked.

"Well, when Melody broke out and wandered into the woods, we went after her and found Brittany laying in a glen not too far from the road," replied the rancher. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"Hmm..."

"C'mon, Zelda," Link spoke up, "even Malon knows the only time you put your hand to your mouth like that is when you're worried. We may as well tell her now and get it over with."

"Tell me what? Did she do something wrong?"

"No, not really. It's just..." Zelda paused for a moment, wondering what to say. "She mentioned something about her mother trying to kill her-"

"WHAT?"

"Shhhh!" the blonde put a finger to her lips. "Not so loud!"

Malon gave a quick glance back to see if she had been heard but, seeing no concerned heads peeking out of the stalls, she turned back around and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Did you say her mother tried to _KILL_ her?" Zelda nodded. "But why?"

"We don't know. All we got out of her was something about 'bargaining chips' and her mother using her," Link joined in. "If Zelda is right, then we may know why she was brought here."

And so, the Hylian duo went on to explain the events from the trial leading up to Brittany's emotional confession. By the time they were through, it was Malon's turn to put her hands over her mouth.

"My Goddesses..." she glanced back through the stable. "To think that _she_ could be an Empath! It would explain why the animals and workers took up with her so quickly, and how fast she was able to read through Milo's flirting."

"But that's not all, Malon," Zelda added. "She was actually trying to _defend_ Sir Verdun!"

"What? Why?"

"She sensed something amiss in him, too," vouched the princess. "I am willing to bet my crown that her being an Empath is the reason Din and Nayru brought her here."

"IF it was them that did."

"It had to be," Link interrupted. "Both they and their sister are oracles."

"Yes, I remember you telling me about Din's kidnapping and Nayru's possession back of this," the redhead recalled. "Onox and Veran had wanted to control the power of those two. But what does that have to do with Brittany?"

"Din can detect tremendous power within people that they may otherwise not be aware of," Zelda spoke, "and Nayru has the wisdom of generations! It only makes sense that they would have saved someone with such a rare gift."

"But I thought that all of the Empaths died out long ago! They're supposed to be a myth!"

"Well, think about it for a minute," Link said. "Brittany mentioned something about being taken from her _own_ world and brought here! She's not even from this universe!"

"Wait, are you saying Nayru may have taken her from another time?"

"Another time, another realm-who knows! All that we do know," the hero's eyes narrowed to a contemplative slit, "is that she's here and the oracles are gone."

"Do you remember them saying anything about where they went, Link?" Malon asked.

"Nayru told everyone that they were going on vacation," Zelda said, "when, in reality, they were going after a lead they found about their attackers' origins. But when she and Din went to leave, they refused to allow their little sister to come along. They said that, if something should happen to them, they would need the one oracle still free from danger. However, Farore took this as an insult because she didn't have a talent like they did-that all she could do was tell stories and write books. Not long after they left, she came up missing, too."

Link frowned. "We don't know if Farore's sisters had a change of heart or if she struck out on her own somewhere. Either way, we've lost three oracles and gained one hell of a mystery."

"I've got the brushing done!" called out a familiar voice as its owner came trotting up the aisle. "Hey, what's with all of the long faces? You look like you're all going to a funeral. AND WILL YOU GO AWAY!" she screeched as a wet black nose nudged her neck. The stallion had followed her out of the barn.

"You know something?" Malon grinned. "I don't think he wants _YOU_ to leave!"

"Yeah, well, he's just gonna have to get over it!" she said, brushing the beast's head aside. "We've got to head to the castle eventually, and you certainly don't need this guy disappearing after what happened this morning."

Malon began to giggle. "Oh, that's right!" she turned to Zelda. "The princess is letting you stay at the castle tonight!"

"I've also come to invite you, Malon," the royal beamed, but the rancher declined her request.

"I'd like to, but with the Picori Festival coming up, there is so much work to be done here! I can't just up and leave Dad and the workers by themselves-they'd never get anything done."

Link let out a laugh. "C'mon, Malon, I'm sure they won't burn the barn down if you leave for one night."

"But the festival-!"

"I'll tell you what," Zelda said. "I'll send the Royal Gardeners down to the ranch to help tomorrow while you're gone. Fair enough?"

Malon grinned. "You've got yourself a deal! Now," she turned back to Brittany, "let's go tell Dad. You can get your old clothes, too-they're hanging on the line. They should be dry by now."

And off they marched to the farmhouse. After saying their farewells to Talon and the workers, and one particularly embarrassing incident in which Brittany had to chase after the horse to get her underwear back, they set off toward Hyrule Castle.


	9. The Triplet's True Identities

**CHAPTER NINE**

**"**_The Triplets' True Identities_**"**

By the time they had arrived back at the castle, shadows had long since claimed much of the land and the fading sun cast its last glimmers of deep tangerine across the realm. It had been a brief walk because, seeing as how Brittany's incident in the bakery frightened several people, they took great care to scurry as fast as they could through the town. They needn't have worried, though-so few people we out at the moment, for most of the merchants had either gone home or left on another trading expedition and the children were inside their houses. As they drifted through the square, various scents of delicious home-cooked suppers wafted through the air. Brittany's stomach rumbled from hunger, but she ignored it and followed her friends out of the town and back through the northern fields.

The King was more than delighted to invite Zelda's new friend to spend the night. Being such a jovial-natured fellow himself, Brittany could understand why any little whim that made his daughter happy would do the same for him. It was pleasing to know that the monarch and his royal staff were so eager to welcome her into their home. Among them was a tiny man with glasses and thick, white, bushy eyebrows and mustache and a tall, round woman with a cheery face.

"Good evening, Minister Pothos," Malon curtsied. "Ms. Impa."

"After all this time, child, you're still calling me 'Ms.'?" the woman boomed, a hearty laugh bubbling up from her throat. "I thought I told you to call me Impa."

Malon giggled and shrugged. "Sorry, it's a force of habit."

The rounded matron turned to Brittany. "Now, who is this pretty young lady, Princess? Is she the one the castle is all abuzz about?"

Zelda stepped forward and put her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Impa, this is Brittany. Brittany, I would like you to meet my nursemaid, Lady Impa."

"Just call me Impa, kid," she motioned for the girl to come forward. "Get over here and let me take a good look at you!" Nervous under the stern eye of the nurse, Brittany stepped forward and gulped. "Now then...hmm..."

It only made her even more nervous to find the big woman circling her like a vulture, scanning her from head to foot. Suddenly, she became aware of just how timid she was about her body, and laced her arms over her front to hide her stomach. Finally, when she had thought the woman finished with her investigation, she felt a round, pudgy finger gouge her in the ribs.

"Hey!"

"Kind of puny, ain't'cha?" the woman said. "Least you've got a little more meat on ya' than the princess. I'll just have to see to it that you both get strengthened up, how about it?"

Brittany looked up at the woman, wide-eyed. That was the first truly sincere comment that anyone had ever made about her weight-and it was a NICE one! "You are my new favorite person..."

The portly woman looked surprised but soon burst out into laughter. "I never could understand why anyone would want to be a stick. What's so fun about being able to play the xylophone on one's ribcage?" She looked over at the tiny man. "Hey, Pothos-introduce yourself to the girl!"

"Um...oh, yes! Quite right," he bustled over and took a quick little bow. "I am Minister Pothos, the King's top advisor and one of Princess Zelda's tutors."

Zelda looked back up at the woman. "Impa, do you mind if Brittany, Link, Malon and I head to the library for awhile? That is one place that we forgot to show her earlier."

The portly woman beamed a motherly smile. "Of course not! Just come back down for supper later," she looked down at Brittany. "I'll fatten the four of you up if its the last thing I do!"

The princess giggled. "Thank you, Impa," she bade her nurse and teacher farewell as she herded her friends off into the further recesses of the castle. After many minutes of winding through corridors and bounding up stairs, they eventually came upon a door with another intricate crest raised on it. This one, however, was of an open book and writing quill with the trademark Hylian triangles and wings beneath it. They pushed the door open and made their way inside.

Brittany gazed in wonder at her surroundings. Everywhere she turned were rows upon rows of towering bookcases-lining the walls or just freestanding throughout the room. Level upon level of balconies spiraled up to the ceiling, each one accessible to the other by a small flight of stairs. Far above them, the starry night sky gazed down at them through a beautiful domed skylight. A fireplace marked the bottom of one wall and several plush lounge chairs lay before it. There was also a long, ornate table with a tiny decorated candy box and several volumes scattered on its top, and an enormous painting of a past Hylian king hung over the mantle.

She was stunned. "I...I've never seen so many books in all of my life! It's like...oh, man..."

"Do you like to read, then?" Zelda asked.

"If I'm dreaming," Brittany gasped out, "then don't you dare wake me up!"

The princess smiled and went to nestle herself into a chair. Link and Malon followed suit, but it was all Brittany could do to pry her eyes away from the multitude of knowledge bound within those shelves. "Come have a seat!" Zelda called to her. "I promise that there will be plenty of time later for you to explore. But now-come, we have much to discuss."

Tearing herself away from the tomes, she reluctantly took her place in a seat across from Zelda. "So...what did you want to talk about?"

"Brittany, believe it really was Din and Nayru that called you into this world," the princess said.

"Okay! Where do I find them?"

"That's the problem..." the Hylian's eyes were downcast.

Brittany's face fell. "What do you mean?"

The princess looked around at her friends, worry clouding her visage. They nodded to her, and she continued. "What I am about to reveal to you must never leave this room. No one but Link, Malon, Impa and myself know of it. If this information ever gets into the wrong hands, then it could spell disaster for a lot of people."

The feeling of anxiety hung in the air like an omen. Brittany gulped. "I promise."

"Very well..." the princess settled back into her seat, her hands clasped neatly in her lap. "Din and Nayru are no ordinary girls. They are, in fact, very powerful oracles that help control the balance of our world. Din, who travels as a dancer in disguise, is the Oracle of Seasons. It is her duty to see that nature does not fall into chaos. The singer Nayru, the Oracle of Ages, guards the history of our realm."

"Okay...I can get that," Brittany said.

_Does this mean I'm NOT in the Minish Cap? But Vaati...no, this just means that the Oracle games and the Minish Cap versions have been combined in this realm. Man, this is confusing!_

"Well, within a year after Vaati was defeated, Grandpa was pressuring me to become a knight," Link piped up, "but I didn't know if that's what I wanted. So, I took up my sword and ventured out on my own. Eventually, as I moved farther away from Hyrule, I was caught in a huge storm. To top it all off, I was then nearly killed by this monster of a knight just for getting in his way!"

_I bet it was General Onox..._Brittany nodded.

"I thought I was dead, but I later awoke to find myself surrounded by a troupe of performers. When I asked how I got there, they told me their dancer, Din, had saved my life. I had seen her in Hyrule before, but I never knew she was a dancer. Actually, I did not find out until much later that she was the Oracle of Seasons and had used her power to resurrect me. Unfortunately, the same guy that attacked me had been on his way to capture her. His name was General Onox."

_Bingo!_ Brittany listened to Link ramble on with his tale, how he had come to meet Impa and the friends he made on the journey. After defeating Onox, he had helped bring Din back to Hyrule. Unfortunately, she was supposed to meet her sisters there, but only Farore had shown up. So, he turned around and headed for Labrynna to find Nayru, the wandering singer, only meeting her long enough before she was possessed by the wicked sorceress Veran. He told about how he and Ralph-Nayru's childhood friend who just happened to have a major crush on the vocalist-had gone back in time to stop her. Another quest landed him on a pirates' ship, whose captain was the now-cursed sweetheart of Labrynna's ancient Queen Anbi. With the help of the pirate's locket, his own ancestor, and a wailing Ralph, Link had managed to bring down Veran once and for all. Finally, all three sisters were reunited in Hyrule-much to the dismay of Ralph, who started bawling when 'his Nayru' left.

"I finally got back when I was fourteen and decided that I would become a knight. I entered the tournament for the first time, won, and Zelda knighted me in front of the whole town."

Link was beaming. "It was quite the accomplishment for one so young to be given the title of knight in Hyrule," Malon said. "But Link deserved it after all that he had been through." That's when Brittany noticed that the rancher had her starry eyes focused on the hero. A twinge of bubbly warmth began to mingle in the air, and the girl spent several moments trying to figure out what it was.

_Uh-oh, Zelda!_ Brittany thought. _Looks like you've got some competition, girlfriend..._;

Not that the princess noticed. She, too, was quite caught up in Link's stories. And Link...was clueless. The brunette started to wonder why the hero of any story had to be so dense when it came to love matters. Maybe they got cracked on the head one time too many during their quests. She shrugged. Either way, she took a mental note to place a bet on who was going to win the fair boy's heart.

"No offense, Link," Brittany politely spoke, "your adventures are amusing and all, but what do any of them have to do with where Din and Nayru are now?"

Link frowned, letting Zelda take over. "About a week before you showed up, they came to visit me. Apparently, some news about the possible origins of the captors had come to light, so they had decided to follow that lead. I gave them what help I could, even offering to send my guards with them, but they preferred to leave with their performance entourage. They would go advertise the upcoming Picori Festival and return at the end of the month with no one the wiser."

"So, where are they?"

"I am not completely for certain," Zelda's face fell. "They kept their location a secret from everyone-including their younger sister, Farore."

"Why not tell their own sister?" Brittany asked. "Isn't she an oracle, too?"

"Yes, but let me explain," the princess chirped. "Farore is a wonderful, sweet little girl, so do not think that I am trying to make a mockery of her behind her back. She's the best storyteller that anyone has ever seen-but that is all. She cannot move around in battle the way Din's swift dancer's legs enable her to, nor can she freeze time to get away like Nayru can. She both physically and magically weak, so she would have slowed her sisters down should they have encountered danger. That's why, when it came time to leave, they left her home."

"Poor kid..." a pang of sorrow rippled through her chest. She knew what it felt like to be trapped by her own faults.

"Not so much," Link joined in. "Farore may be weak, but she has a temper and a half. She's extremely protective of anyone she likes, and that itself makes her a match for many. And she's smart-too smart. Her sisters had to drug her and leave in the middle of the night so Farore could not catch up to them. Unfortunately, the day after they left, she disappeared, too, so now we have no idea where any of the Triplets are."

Brittany scowled. "You mean I have to wait a whole month before they come back?" she whined.

"Actually," Zelda added, "the Picori Festival is in two weeks."

Her frown deepened. "So what am I supposed to do until then?"

"For starters," Malon leaned over her chair arm and waved a finger at her pal, "you can stay off of that leg of yours! Din may be able to heal it, but you need to keep it from becoming even more damaged than it already is."

"But I _HATE_ not moving!" Brittany turned to the others. "Honestly, if I don't have something to do, I can't sit still. Sometimes, I have problems even doing that!"

"Well, maybe I can give you some odd jobs around the ranch to keep you busy," the brunette's face lit up, but Malon shook her finger at her again, "but NO more chopping wood or hauling crates!"

"And if that's not enough, you can come help me and Grandpa in the smithy," Link added.

"Ooh, I've always wanted to learn how to make my own sword!"

The hero laughed. "It takes years of practice to make a decent blade," his companion shrunk back in her seat in disappointment, but he gave a comforting chuckle. "Still, if you don't try, you can't see how good an artisan you may become!"

"Of course, if all of that does not suit your fancy," Zelda chimed in and, picking up a tome from the table, handed it to the maiden, "you can always read."

"Thanks!" Brittany said, taking the book from her. Unfortunately, the moment she looked down, a wry grin crossed her face. "Um, Zel?"

"Yes?"

"Heh heh..." she let out a nervous laugh and held up the book. "Can you teach me how to read Hylian?"


	10. Fateful Encounter

**CHAPTER TEN**

**"**_Fateful Encounter_**"**

The days seemed to fly by for our heroine. Her companions did everything humanly possible to make her stay as busy as they could without causing injury to the girl-upon Brittany's insistence, of course. Her days were filled with caring for the livestock or milking the cows on Lon Lon Ranch, and her nights confined to the library for Hylian ABCs with Minister Pothos and the princess. Now and then, she would pop over to the blacksmith's house and join Link and his grandfather in the workshop (not that she made very much progress within two weeks...she wound up amusing herself by fashioning jewelry from tiny metal slivers around pretty rocks she found, earning a few rupees in the marketplace for her work). By the time the end of the month rolled around, she had already begun to make a name for herself in the village.

"Thank you! Come again soon!" said the girl as a young woman handed her a few green shards. She watched as the maiden skipped of merrily, fiddling with the ends of the braided cord of her new necklace.

"Hmm...It seems like business is going well for you, huh?"

"Malon!" Brittany nearly jumped out of her skin as she noticed the skirt-clad female on her right. "What are you doing here?"

"It's _lunchtime_, Miss Hyper," she mused. "Didn't you realize how much time has passed?"

The maiden let out a chuckle as she dumped her wages into the bandanna the redhead had given her-which, thanks to a bit of thread and a needle, was now a drawstring purse. "I guess I was having too much fun to notice."

"You've not even been here three weeks and already you are a part-time rancher, jeweler, AND now a merchant! What next? Gonna go become a priestess?"

Brittany rose from her corner on the trader's mat and brushed off her skirt. After she had worked for a while on the ranch, Malon had given her more of her late mother's old wardrobe to wear. Even though it was all light-colored blouses and skirts, it certainly beat the coarse material of the constrictive jeans she had been wearing when she first appeared in Hyrule-not to mention that they kept her cool in the hot summer weather. Besides, bright colors just suited her energetic personality. She would have preferred a few more fiery tones in her clothing, but she was content with the comfort the rancher's garments brought her.

"Well, I suppose I'll go find Impa," she thought aloud. "She's usually in the kitchen this time of day. Maybe she'll make me a honey sandwich..."

"You and your honey sandwiches!" Malon cried out. "Don't you ever get tired of eating honey all of the time?"

"No, should I?"

"Gah!" Malon threw her hands up in the air and began to walk away. "You're hopeless, kid. You eat honey like its going out of style."

"I always have like weird things. My friends used to say that I was a pregnant lady in training."

At that, the redhead started to giggle. Brittany gave her fellow merchant a quick thank-you for sharing his mat space with her, then followed Malon on up the road. She playfully bumped into the girl, who gave her a little friendly shove back. Eventually, the two of them were laughing at their little pushing war and chattering up a storm.

"So, the Picori Festival is in a couple of days, right?" Brittany wondered.

"Yeah," Malon nodded. "I guess you've noticed the boom of commerce we've had around here lately?"

The maiden laughed. "Who knew that steel filaments wrapped around a piece of quartz would be such a top-selling commodity?"

It was true: the town had been particularly crowded lately. Brittany found it harder and harder to push her way through the bustling burg as the days leading up to the Picori Festival slipped away. Fortunately, many of the tourists had money to burn, and, glad she could repay the ranchers' for their kindness, she began to fashion bits of jewelry from stones she found at Lake Hylia and leftover metal sheathings from the smithy (That was one good thing about her being a gamer-years of controller usage and an artistic mind made her a natural at fashioning simple Celtic knots).

"Do you think Link will go to the festival with Zelda this year?"

Such a random question snapped Brittany out of her daze. "Where did THAT come from?"

"Oh, no reason," Malon tilted her head down and let her long hair fall around it. "Just thinking to myself."

_Oh, boy, I knew this was going to happen..._Even though she could not see Malon's face, she could sense that the girl had turned the same shade of scarlet as her hair. Still, it was quite obvious that their friend Zelda was equally infatuated with the green-clad hero. Not wanting to choose one over the other, she decided the best thing for her to do was play dumb.

"What's the big deal about Link going with Zelda?" she huffed. "Do you think someone is going to kidnap her or something?"

"Oh, NO! That's not what I meant, at all! I just meant...well...um..."

The obvious discomfort in the air around Malon was beginning to pester Brittany. She had that same creeping, guilty feeling in her ribcage that she could probably help her friend get together with Link, but there was no way she was going to get involved in romantic affairs. The princess had been pals with him for far longer than she had, so if Malon wanted Link, she'd have to get him herself!

"What about Milo?" Brittany suggested.

"Milo? That flirt?"

"Yeah! Why don't you go with him?" the girl chirped. "That way, you won't be alone at the festival and Milo will stop pestering you for a date. Sounds innocent enough, right?"

Malon had a look of disgust on her face. "Yeah, but...Milo?" she raised an eyebrow. "Be serious, Brittany. The moment a pretty girl walked by, if Milo didn't sprint of right then, I'd be having to clean drool off of him for the remainder of the day!"

The Earthling shrugged. "At least, you would have a pal for the festival. Besides, wouldn't you want to get rid off him? I mean, he is a flirt and all. You said so yourself."

Malon got very quiet. _Oh, geez!_ a shout rang out in Brittany's mind. _This kid doesn't know WHO she wants! So naive..._

Apparently, the rancher had had enough interrogation and decided to fire back her own question. "If you are so cocky," she crossed her arms, "then who is taking you to the festival?"

Without missing a beat, Brittany blurted, "Smith."

"You're going on a date with Link's GRANDPA?"

"Hell, no!" the maiden shouted. "I'm helping him prepare the arena for the tournament. I'm one of the hired hands, you know."

The romantically-inclined woman sighed. "Not even on the Picori Festival do you stop working..." she turned to Brittany with a bemused expression on her lips. "Haven't you ever heard of a vacation?"

Brittany snorted. "Back where I came from, a vacation was just a time to get work done that you didn't have the time to before."

"Man, I don't know where you came from, but it certainly does not sound like much fun..."

"It wasn't," the American added. "I had to make my own fun. Unfortunately, balancing books on my head and dancing in the store aisles weren't things my mother approved of."

Malon frowned. Ever since Link and Zelda had told her about Brittany's little outburst, she had seen her new friend through a whole new light. The rancher knew that there had been something odd about the brunette but she had hoped that the day after she arrived she would be feeling well enough to tell her. Unfortunately, Sir Verdun's attempted theft had thrown that idea out of the proverbial window. Looking at her now, though, Malon realized why the girl worked so hard. Her father had done the same thing when her mother died until he came to grips that she was really gone. Perhaps that's what kept the hyper Empath's mind off of her past. She shook her head.

"Well, you are in Hyrule now!" Malon beamed. "From what I've seen, there has been nothing wrong with your antics. They might be a bit strange, but they make everyone laugh."

A huge grin overtook Brittany's countenance. "That's the whole point of doing silly stuff, Malon-it makes you feel better inside. I remember, back in the old world, there was always so much sadness around me. Death, war, declining health, financial problems...if you snitched on someone for a crime, you could get away with murder-literally. You had to struggle so hard in school because if your grades were just one point below someone else's, it could ruin your whole chance at going to a university. And since a higher education was about the only thing standing between a half-way stable life and grubbing in the streets, it really got to you."

At this, the girl cast her eyes down and focused on a pebble that had worked its way loose from the cobble stoned path. Malon watched as a sad smile tugged at the corner of her pal's lips.

"All anyone ever did was beat you down. They wanted to make sure they came out ahead in life and the only way they could do that was by getting rid of the competition. The really sad thing about it was that kids were raised up thinking either they weren't good enough or that everyone around them was evil and must be done away with. Depending on the place, you could be a marked woman for your skin tone, religion, family, or even the people you called friends. Greed and a lust for power replaced compassion in those corrupted children because they believed that material goods would get them by in the long run. The sad thing was...it usually did. Many's the time a saw a gifted classmate give up and drop out of school because they did not think they were as smart as their classmates. They lost interest in education-the only hope they had at bettering themselves."

It was here that Brittany smiled and gazed up at the sky. Malon could almost feel the warmth of the girl's hopeful optimism that exuded from her face.

"But not here. Don't get me wrong, now-bad things still happen everywhere. It's just human nature," she watched as the puffy white clouds drifted in the azure field above. "But compared to that place, Hyrule is absolute _Heaven_. Everyone works, everyone pulls their share. The people take care of one another here," she said, her eyes resting on a bird's nest high full of chirping chicks atop a nearby tree. "Working hard, playing hard, _living hard!_ There is so much peace and goodness around here that it makes your heart sing."

Suddenly, the girls were jerked out of their fancy as several small children ran past. They were all tittering excitedly, bright open smiles illuminating their faces. It was when the adults began to scurry by, though, that curiosity got the better of them. Music and indistinguishable noise could be heard nearing the gates at the other end of Hyrule Castle Town, and a bustling crowd had gathered in the square-everyone whooping and hollering in celebration.

"I wonder what's going on?" Malon pondered.

"I don't know," spoke the other, a wicked smirk spreading from one of her rounded ears to the next, "but I wanna find out! C'mon!"

With that, the hyperactive Empath and the rancher darted back down the steps and headlong into the throng of chattering Hylians. Coos of 'oohs' and 'ahhs', along with clapping and cries of awe could be heard as they snaked their way along. A few half-whispered squeals sprang up from the delighted children around them. Just as the duo pushed themselves between the tourists leading the crowd, the sound of trumpets blared across the square, matched only in volume of the enthusiasm of the town. A deep voice boomed as Brittany and Malon struggled reach the outside of the mob.

"_**MAKE WAY FOR THE FINEST PERFORMERS IN ALL OF HYRULE!**_"

Cheers roared from the crowd. Just as the girls made their way through, a lively scene came into view. Musicians sounded away on their flutes and guitars. Others were carrying huge drums that were being pounded by yet more entertainers. Several people rode in on brilliant white horses, standing tall on the creatures' back with their arms outstretched, their bodies shimmering as the sunlight reflected off their sequenced costumes. A lean man wearing naught but a turban, a loincloth and a smile rushed forward and belched out a stream of fire with the help of a torch he was carrying. Then came a hulking monster of a man, flexing his muscled arms as two women silly with giggles rode on his broad shoulders. Plate spinners, clowns, vendors of all sorts burst into view as a parade of flag-bearers marched up the sides in their mosaic of uniforms.

"Hey, it looks like Din and Nayru are back!" Malon said. "This is the performance troupe they left with a few weeks ago!"

Brittany's eyes widened. Her rescuers were back! Maybe she would finally learn why she was brought to Hyrule! She looked back up just as a proud man on a speckled horse galloped onto the scene. He was dressed from head to toe in deep vermillion red, his long waistcoat falling over the creature's flank from the excessive fabric. Two shiny knee-length boots garbed his legs, and the starched white undershirt and black vest could be seen from the opening in his coat. A long mustache curled below his nose and a strange fez-like hat sat atop his head. A horn made of bleached bone hung from his belt. Behind him a covered carriage was drawn by two dusty brown mares. Another flagman stood on its roof, proudly bearing the flag of the Hylian Royal family.

Taking the horn from its strap, the horseman pulled back on the reigns and lifted the instrument to his mouth. A long, clear note bellowed out and flooded the village, instantly stopping the gang of performers and decreasing the excited chatter of the people. He placed the horn back on his hip and stretched out his arm in greeting.

"Hello and good afternoon to all!" shouted the ringmaster. "It is my honor-no! my privilege-to announce the return of our humble troupe."

While the enthusiasm of the crowd was quelled, Brittany snuck around closer to the carriage. _Maybe I can see Din or Nayru from here..._she thought.

"After several weeks of touring in the distant provinces, we have arrived, once again, in our beloved Hyrule-just in time for the Picori Festival!" A few more wild whoops rang out, but the man held up a hand to hush them. "Now, now...I know you aren't wound up merely over a few musicians and a fire-breather..." Laughter dotted the crowd. The flame-bearer pouted, but soon smiled again as the ringmaster spoke.

"I think we all know who you REALLY came to see-"

Several whistles and cat-calls rang out from the mob. Brittany nearly got clobbered by one particularly enthusiastic man. The mustachioed ringmaster tugged on the reigns of his horse, pulling the animal away from the front of the carriage.

"The moment you have all been waiting for!" he stretched his arm out toward the carriage. "I give you the dancer who can entice flames in your soul and the angel whose voice can charm the little birds down from the trees! The ravishing, majestic spirit that has swept thousands off their feet with her fiery steps, and she who could sooth the giant Biggoron to a soothing slumber! I give you-"

_**Crrrrack-POW!**_ A burst of scarlet and orange smoke burst forth from nowhere in the center of the clearing. As the tendrils curled out away from the area of impact, a sultry voice floated out from within it.

"Time to get this party started!"

The ringmaster's horse shook his head and snorted. "Not _again_..." The man smacked his forehead and did the same.

Suddenly, a flash of crimson and red leapt from the plumes of colored smoke and into the square. Huge golden bracelets encircled its arms and a crimson leotard decked its body. Long cinnabar hair pulled back into a ponytail swiped through the air like a flaming whip. Brownish-red eyes stared out from its tan face.

"TA-DA!" the young woman shouted, raising her arms in the air in a victorious pose. A multitude of cheers and whistles erupted as she swept into a graceful bow.

"Din, could you not just _WALK_ out of the carriage like _NORMAL_ people?" whined the ringmaster.

"Why?" the dancer raised up and struck another sassy pose. "Being ladylike is more Nayru's kind of thing."

The very moment her name was mentioned, a head peeked out of the carriage door. "Din, will you come back in the carriage already?" lilted a soothing voice. "Your little blast scared the horses."

"Aww, you're no fun, Nayru!" shouted the dancer.

"Listen to the lady, Din," the flustered man said. "You'll have plenty of time at the Picori Festival to show off!"

The fiery-haired maiden pushed her lip out into a pout. "Sheesh! We've only been here a few minutes and I have to get back in there," Din crossed her arms and sauntered over to her sister. "I just wanted to stretch my legs..."

"You mean you just wanted _attention_," Nayru mused. She shook her head when her elder turned and waved to the mob, garnering a few more cheers from her fans. But as the gown-clad woman stepped back up into the buggy, something caught her eye: a young brunette with glasses and round ears staring at her with a look of shock plastered on her face.

_Blue hair...BLUE HAIR! That's her!_ yelped Brittany's mind the moment she spotted Nayru_...Hey, I think she _sees _me!_

Nayru _**DID**_ see her. Not only did she see her but the surprise on the singer's brow meant she recognized Brittany. Din noticed her sister's concern and asked her what was the matter. Mouthing something that Brittany could not hear, she saw an equal look of shock marked the dancer's face as she whirled around to face the girl. The brunette gulped. Din smiled, then whispered something to her sister. The vocalist nodded, and the two of them walked back toward the square.

"Hey!" protested the ringmaster. "You were supposed to convince her to go sit down, not join her!"

Nayru and Din flashed their smiles at the man, who got the message that he wasn't going to win. They walked over to him and he leaned down. Nayru whispered something in his ear. The mustachioed man raised a brow, but the singer nodded. He shook his head and sat back up.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Since we have missed Hyrule so much," he glanced down at the sisters, who waved for him to continue, "I have decided to treat you! One lucky young man or woman from this crowd shall have the chance to spend the rest of the day with our stars, Din and Nayru!"

Immediately, the mob broke into an excited chatter.

"Pick me, Din!" shouted a little boy.

"No, me!" cried a girl. "She's gonna pick me!"

"Over here's a real man, Nayru!"

"Oh, please, choose me, Miss Din!"

"Me!"

"Me!"

"Me-!"

"_**QUIET!**_" bellowed the ringmaster who, when the mob went silent, blushed slightly in embarrassment. "Now, then...Ours stars have already made their decision. Right, girls?" the man raised a critical brow.

Nayru smiled and looked to the crowd. Her eyes met Brittany's gaze. She pointed.

"Ah, there's our lucky girl!" hollered the ringmaster. "You with the long hair-no, not you...The kid with the glasses! Yeah, you! Get over here!"

Instinctively, Brittany pointed at herself. With an impatient nod from the ringmaster, he waved his arm for her to follow.

"That's right, kid! Come on, we don't have all day. You're holding up the works!"

The brunette gave a nervous glance over to Malon, then stepped forward. A few disappointed groans came from the people the sisters had passed over, but also a few scattered cheers that met her ears as she headed toward the center of the clearing. She was welcomed by smiles from the performers and the frustrated ringmaster, who was now drumming his fingers against the reigns in agitation.

"Yeah, yeah," he rolled his eyes, "are you happy now, you two? If your finished goofing off, Din, I want the _three _of you back in that carriage-pronto!"

The two girls took hold of Brittany's wrists. As hyper and outgoing as she usually was, meeting her saviors again was enough to take the bounce right out of her step. It was so unlike her to be nervous around anyone new! She'd just walk up to someone and pop out a random question (i.e. "So...do you like sporks?")-just hit it off with people right away. But seeing the two girls made her mind nearly shut down and her body begin to react in the same instinctive manner it had that night she escaped her mother. However, the serene atmosphere surrounding the sisters flooded her senses, and she became so tranquilized in the soothing words of Nayru's welcome that she never noticed her being led into the buggy. She barely snapped back to reality long enough to wave good-bye to Malon as the coachman closed the carriage door behind her.


	11. Din and Nayru

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

**"**_Din and Nayru_**"**

As the curtain fell back across the window, Brittany uneasily settled into her seat. She leaned back against the wall of the carriage, the feel of worn, smooth wood of the bench beneath her hands as she let her arms dangle along her sides. Across from her on the other seat sat Din and Nayru. The redhead lazily leaned to the side, one leg crossed over the other at the knee, while her blue-haired sister sat straight up with her legs placed side-by-side and her hands folded neatly in her lap. A bemused smirk marked the dancer's face.

"How are you enjoying Hyrule, Brittany?" Din lulled.

"Um...It's great," spoke the brunette, worry bubbling up in the pit of her stomach.

"Heh heh, you have no reason to be afraid, kid," the dancer tilted her head back, giving off a cocky air. "I swear we won't bite."

Brittany just stared. She was trembling so badly now that she felt she was about to go into another of her fits. Try as she might, though, her tremors only began to increase as thoughts of that night raced back to her. She shoved the horrid thoughts to the back of her mind and tried to concentrate on something else.

However, looking over at her hosts did not help quell her anxiety even a bit. Din was a dancer-pretty and lithe with an agile, thin body that perfectly suited her nimble talents. And Nayru...the singer's voluminous, wavy indigo hair cascading over her tiny shoulders and elegant figure only made Brittany ever the more conscious about her own wretched physique. She pulled one leg up into the seat and wrapped her arms around her stomach in attempt to hide the layer of fat that was so conspicuous to her. Noticing the distressed look on the young woman's face, Nayru confronted her.

"Are you in pain, my dear?" crooned the vocalist, her voice trilling like the song of a mourning dove.

"Uh, no, I-ach!" the depressed girl had tried to jerk her other leg up into the seat, but the pain from her knee made her wince. Din raised her brow.

"Let me take a look at that." Brittany raised her skirt a bit and extended her leg as Din leaned in for a better look. She prodded the girl's kneecap for a few moments. "Well, you've obviously injured it. How did this happen?"

The brunette looked up at the singer as if unsure of what to say. "Do not fret," Nayru said. "Din knows what she is doing. You can tell her."

Brittany gulped and nodded. "I dislocated it dancing about a year ago, then accidentally popped it back in place a week and a half later during another routine," the oracle continued to examine her leg. "I haven't had much of a chance to rest it since I've been trying to lose weight. Then, that night you guys found me, I hurt it again while I was running. Malon and her father tried to fix it but it is still really sore."

A concerned grunt came from the dancer. After spurting out a few more questions, she gave the girl's leg a little twist to see how much she could stand-which, with her injury, wasn't very much. Din tried to move the bone around with her thumb as she poked along the targeted tendons surrounding it. Finally, after several more moments of tedious prodding, scarlet eyebrows raised and a smirk appeared.

"Well, you certainly did a number on it, didn't you?" she exclaimed, a hint of laughter in her voice.

"Why, what's the matter?" Brittany's face contorted into a worried grimace.

"Just a common injury among dancers-I've seen it before. Judging from what you've told me," the oracle said, "the rancher was wise to keep you off of it."

"Can it be healed?" asked the brunette with a hopeful heart.

Din leaned back and cocked her head with the same sassy gesture she had before. "I'd be a poor oracle if I couldn't!" Brittany let out a sigh of relief, causing the women on the other seat to laugh. "If I could revive Link, a little thing like an injured knee should be no problem. You'll have to wait a little bit, though-I can't work in such a cramped up space."

"Oh, that's fine! That's fine!" Brittany cheered. "You don't even have to do it today! As long as I get to run and dance again, I'll happily wait another week if I have to!"

Din's face lit up. "You like to dance?" she leaned forward, crossing her arms over her own knees.

"Heck yeah! I'd get out in the middle of the university campus back in the old world and dance by myself!"

"Awesome!"

"I used to come up with my own routines by taking bits and pieces of dances I'd seen and jumbling them all together," chimed Brittany.

"Sweet..."

Nayru wearily shook her head. "Oh, my, you just had to get her started, didn't you?" Din shot her a 'what's-that-supposed-to-mean' look. The oracle merely smiled and turned back to Brittany. "There's nothing she loves more than dancing. It's all she ever talks about: what new technique she will use, what music she will perform to...she's always got some routine or other stirring in that head of hers."

"Well," Din shot back, "you're the same way with your songs! Fa la la dee da-I can't remember the last time I got to sleep late with her warbling waking me up at the crack of dawn."

Had you have been there, one could have sworn there were lightning sparks igniting between the two sisters. As the tension between the duo rose, however, Brittany burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" barked Din, her brow narrowed to a mock-scowl.

"I'm sorry...hee heh...it's just," the girl beat her fist on the seat, "it seems so unreal. I mean, here I am, in Hyrule, talking to people that are supposed to be just pixels on a screen!"

The oracles smiled. "I guess it is quite a shock, waking up in a new world and all," Nayru said.

Brittany nodded. She glanced out the tiny sliver of window the curtain had not covered. "It really doesn't make any sense to me, why I am here. This is supposed to be a game world, and yet," she patted the wooden seat, "here I am."

"Well," Din began, "sometimes scenes from our world transverse the realm's barrier and wind up in other places. The same goes for your world, too, only they usually are written off as nightmares or whatnot because of all the tragedy that is usually depicted in them."

"I guess you would know, wouldn't you?" Brittany's eyes never left the window. "I mean, with you being an oracle and all-"

Din shook her head. "Not me so much as our baby sister, Farore," she added. "She's the Oracle of Secrets, so she's supposed to keep everything under wraps. Unfortunately, that is often more than she can handle..."

The brunette now tugged open the curtain and waved at the passers-by. "What do you mean?"

"As wonderful as she is," Nayru mentioned, "she is just too immature for the duties bound of an oracle. We've had to go find her after she'd wandered off chasing insects or small animals too many times to count. There's no such thing as a stranger to her-it's hard to keep her identity a secret when she's so naive. Instead of trying to perfect her disguise, she'd rather go out and tell stories."

"Not to mention she's a klutz..."

Nayru sighed. "Our little sister is so protective of the people she likes, though, and there is not a single thing she would not do for anyone," the blue-haired woman smiled. "But she does not have the ability to protect herself. She has often bitten off more than she can chew. That's one reason why we left her behind."

Din shook her head. "I hope she didn't mind being alone."

At that, the girl's heart sank. Didn't they know Farore went after them?

"She's not here."

"Beg pardon?" Nayru trilled. "I don't believe I heard you properly."

"I said," Brittany turned to the maidens, "she's gone. Princess Zelda said she disappeared the day after you left." The two sisters looked at each other, not with worry but with silly grins plastered on their faces. Din burst out laughing and Nayru put a hand to her mouth to suppress her ladylike giggles.

"What's WRONG with you two? Aren't you worried she might get hurt?"

Forget ladylike. Now BOTH sisters were shrieking with laughter. Din rested her forearm on the wall and leaned her head against it and stomped her feet while Nayru was hugging her ribs.

"I don't see anything amusing about your sister up and vanishing!" shouted Brittany. "I don't care if she was the most annoying kid in the entire world, you two shouldn't be laugh-"

"You don't understand!" Din cackled. "We had to drug her just to buy us a few minutes' head start!"

"Yeah, I know about that! Zelda told me-"

"But we knew she'd follow us anyway," the vocalist said, "so we left 'accidentally' forgot to cover our tracks. After a few days, we left the troupe and headed south. The troupe, however, headed west. Farore knew we would stay near others for protection-and since our main disguises are traveling performers, she never suspected that we would strike out on our own."

"You remember those flagbearers outside?" Din piped up. "They are actually trained fighters from Holodrum, plus a few knights from Labrynna. Zelda wanted some of her men to tag along, but we knew they'd pity poor Farore and leave her signs to follow. We couldn't endanger her like that, so while we went further away from Hyrule, she would follow our troupe to Labrynna, realize she'd been tricked, and go home."

Nayru giggled. "You see, Farore is such a child about these things. She wants to help, despite the fact that she often does more damage than good. And since we have a ton of connections along the troupe's route, we knew she would be safe."

"Ah..." it began to sink in that the oracles really did have their sister's best interests at heart. She smiled. It was comforting to know that her rescuers were such caring people. Pretty soon, she found herself immersed in conversation with her new companions. Even after the parade had stopped in the North Hylian fields, her helping hands were going about as fast as her mouth was running. By the time the sun had set, the camp had taken root and Brittany had finished explaining what had happened since she had come to Hyrule. The performers pulled up several logs around a bonfire that night, allowing Brittany and a few other guests to join them.

"Well, now! Aren't you two a sight for sore eyes?"

"IMPA!" the oracles, whom had just walked into the glen, pounced the portly woman in a crushing hug. The nursemaid just laughed.

"Din! Nayru!" she boomed, trying to keep her grip on a huge basket in her arms. "Oh, how I've missed my girls! What kept you away for so long?"

"Now, now...I am sure there will be plenty of time for questions tomorrow," said another girl. "Misses Din and Nayru must be quite worn out from their long journey."

The oracles turned to the growing group of Hylians. "Princess Zelda, how nice to see you!" the vocalist happily clasped her hands together. "And Link, too! To what do we owe the occasion?"

The hero smiled. "Celebrating our friends' safe return," assured the young man. Another figure soon strode into view.

"Hey, Malon!" Brittany waved. "Say, it looks like the gang is all here! Uh...what's in the baskets?"

Dangling from the arms of the two maidens were huge covered baskets. Impa toted another hulking container in her grip and Link had a cask lashed to his back like a knapsack. The Hylians moved toward the circle and laid down their heavy containers. Malon took the cover off of hers.

"We knew you would be hungry after such a long day," the redhead mused, "so Impa, Zelda and I made you all supper."

Some of the other performers got out dishes and began to pass them around as the newcomers revealed their wares. Roasted cucco, bread fresh from the oven, boiled eggs, cold bottles of the finest Lon Lon milk, and a nice little barrel of soup made from seasonal Hylian vegetables was soon produced-much to the delight of the famished entertainers. Din was probably the most pleased, for her plate was quickly piled with goodies and she began to eat with a flourish.

"Thang wuu so muth!" the dancer babbled as she crammed her mouth.

Oddly enough, no one was staring. Instead, the performers were just as greedily filling their own bowls. Impa laughed.

"Now THAT is the Din I remember! HA HAH HAH HA!"

Taking a brief swig of milk, the leotard-clad woman started on her soup. "After being on..._slurp_...the road for so long, I've..._chomp_...not had any of Impa's wonderful..._slurp_...food for what feels..._ohm-nom_...like ages! _**BURP!**_" a slightly embarrassed look ran across the face of her sister, but Din merely shrugged it off. "Oops...'scuse me!"

The whole gathering burst out laughing, with the exception of Nayru, who was shaking her head at such un-ladylike behavior. Din continued her munching and soon the containers were devoid of all but scattered crumbs and a few drops of soup. The redheaded oracle nearly stabbed ringmaster when the hand of the latter stuck a fork in after the last potato in the cask. After everyone had finished their meal, the performers struggled to their feet and practically waddled back to their tents. The Hylians and Brittany followed the oracles into the main tent. Nayru lit a lamp and they all sat down.

"Now, then...where to begin?" sighed the vocalist.

Zelda spoke up. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Not exactly," added Din. "All we found was mostly cryptic writings at a distant shrine. We made a copy of them in hopes that Farore could translate them when we came back."

"Hold up a minute!" the group turned towards Brittany. "First things first: I want to know why you two brought me here! I've been waiting all day, but you kept putting it off and putting it off. Well, I won't stand for it any longer! I just HAVE to know!"

"But you're not standing," Link pointed out. "You're sitting down."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious, but I am already aware of that!" said the frustrated girl.

"So why did you say you wouldn't stand for something when you are sitting down?"

"Dang it, Link!" Brittany put her hand on her hips and barked. "Is there some sort of hero rule that says you can never learn what a _figure of speech _is?"

"Geez, just calm down, Brittany. I didn't mean to get you all upset..."

The brunette sighed. "No, I'm the one that should be sorry," she glanced down at the ground. "It's just...everything is so confusing. All of those memories I had of that night keep replaying in my head. I try to make sense of it all, but it's just not happening." Sighing she looked up at the oracles. "I just want to know why you brought me here. Why you saved me from certain death and then abandoned me in the forest."

A sober expression took hold of Din and Nayru. The sisters looked at one another, then nodded.

"I take it you've already been informed about our little trip by the princess, yes?" asked Nayru. Brittany nodded. "Well, a few weeks ago, while Din was practicing a new dance-one which she somehow convinced me to try out-Farore came up to us with an idea for a new story. We were not listening very well, as our minds were clearly elsewhere..."

Din smirked. "That's when it happened..."

"When what happened?" asked the puzzled Earthling.

"Farore has only one real talent, and that is her storytelling," Din said, "and her stories are so realistic...often, they sound incredible, but if you only knew..."

Brittany ground her fists into her hips. "Will you just spit it out already?"

"Farore is the Oracle of Secrets," Nayru began again, "so she has been charged with all of our realm's deepest, darkest riddles. Most of the time, she finds them through books, word of mouth, or just simple observation. She has a photographic memory, so if she ever hears anything, it will always be with her. That's why it is not uncommon to hear her talking to herself-it's how she retains information."

"It gets pretty funny, sometimes, 'cause she'll just be walking through Hyrule Castle Town and you can hear 'Katricia's baby boy was born at 9:15 on the morning of the twelfth' or 'Gladius has three grey hairs on his beard'," Din laughed. "What's bad is she'll record ANYTHING! Do you know how funny it is when she goes by people and lets it slip who has a crush on whom? I can't recall the number of times I've had to bail her out of that one."

"_Usually_, that's how she gets her information," Nayru said. "_Usually_. But being an oracle has given her another ability, one far more serious than people's romantic lives."

Brittany crossed her arms. "What is it?"

"Sometimes," Nayru sighed, "the most powerful secrets are the ones that she _sees_."

"How so?"

"Farore's photographic memory works only through sound," Din replied, "but many times, Farore has had images come to her in dreams. She usually does not remember them for more than a day, so she will often try to commit her dreams to memory through storytelling. And, seeing as how those dreams tend to make the best tales, that's what she uses for entertainment."

The singer gulped. Din put her hand on her sister's shoulder and smiled sadly.

"We knew it was a dream because anytime it was, she would say something silly like 'the spirits have granted me a vision' or the like to get people reeled into the tale. I almost regret letting her go to the square that day."

"Why?" Brittany asked.

Nayru cast the most sobering glance of anyone the girl had ever seen before.

"The last day she told one of her stories," the singer spoke, "she was _attacked_."


	12. The Oracles' Lament

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

**"**_The Oracles' Lament_**"**

_Farore was ATTACKED?_ It made no sense to Brittany why such a beloved icon in Hyrule would be ousted by her fellows.

"We did not realize it then, but just how extreme her gift is would soon become very clear," Nayru continued. "As Farore began her tale that day, she started talking about our adventures. Strangely, however, her story began to morph into something very dark and sinister."

"She started with how Onox and Veran had used us to cause suffering to the surrounding lands. But when she got to Twinrova's summoning Ganon," Din recalled, "her story took a different turn. The tale began to lead beyond the first accounts of the hero who wielded the Holy Sword and further into a murky past-eventually getting into some rather unbelievable tales."

Nayru sighed. "She began to tell of when three golden goddesses created a sacred realm. There were wars fought and much blood shed by greedy men that wished to take hold of the powerful relic that lay within it. Finally, seven ancient sages had sealed the realm in order to stop the violence and restore peace to the land. Unfortunately, it was not to last, because an evil wizard emerged that kidnapped seven descendants of the sages and began using the power that flowed in their veins for sinister purposes. A hero then came forth, bearing three magical pendants and a weapon said to be far more powerful than the Picori Blade could ever be. He fought the wizard and was sent into a dark realm in order to rescue the seven maidens. In the end, he discovered that the Dark World was really the sacred realm that had been corrupted by evil power's influence upon its holy relic. The hero eventually met up with the man behind it-a thief named Ganon. After a mighty battle, he slew Ganon and used the holy relic to restore peace to the land."

_Why does this sound so much like 'A Link to the Past'?_ thought Brittany.

"Unfortunately, after returning the blade to its rightful place, the hero left on a voyage and no one knew if he ever returned," commented Din. "She gave a few scattered hints as to other heroes throughout the ages, with each of them somehow fading from history in the same mysterious fashion. Her accounts became fuzzy..."

The sisters' faces were soon clouded with worry. "As Farore finished her tale, something happened to her that had never happened before: someone started to heckle her. He began ranting and raving on how nothing so stupid could have ever occurred, that her stories were garbage and such. While he was hurling insults, we decided to step in and get our baby sister out of there."

"That's when it happened," Din said. "Instead of breaking down into tears like was her nature, she stood up and climbed onto the crate she had been sitting on. She looked like she was in a trance. When she went to talk, however, she spoke a tone that we had never heard her utter before."

"It was clear, bold, and calm," Nayru furrowed her brow. "Her eyes were open, but something was horribly wrong. They had rolled into the back of her head!"

"Then, she started to speak in riddles. _**'The darkness has not been defeated because the source has never been discovered. Power, wisdom, and courage control the world, but only balance can provide victory.' **_Then she started shrieking!"

"It was horrible! Our sister...it was like she was possessed," the singer's voice began to waver. "She cried out, _**'Three is Four...Four becomes one. Seven revived brings forth the guardian. The sword...the master calls out to us all.' **_Her screams grew louder and she dug her nails into her head, as if she were about to rip out the information overload."

As Nayru began to tremble, Din took her place. "_**'The Key lies within the Heart. The Heart is the center of Emotion. Find her that communes its ancient language. Swiftly now-make haste! Vie thyself to her realm. A mortal danger she does face! Quickly-the portal shall make itself known where sage and knight first met! GO! DO NOT LET THE LAST EMPATH DIE!'**_"

"That man," he dancer said, "was through with our sister's ravings. He threw his glass of water at Farore. It must have snapped her back to her senses, because she then lost her balance and fell to the ground. We grabbed Farore and high-tailed it out of there before Sir Verdun grabbed something else."

Brittany was shocked. "Wait a minute..." blurted the brunette. "You mean the same Sir Verdun that's locked up in the castle dungeon? THAT Verdun?"

"That's another reason his trial was so fast," Zelda chimed in. "Even though it was simple rudeness, Sir Verdun had not been acting himself lately. Attacking you and stealing Malon's horse just gave added incentive for him to have to cool his jets away from public for a while. We were afraid that he might harm himself or someone else."

"What was Farore going on about?" Brittany shouted. "A portal...?"

"Farore remembered _nothing_ of the incident. In fact," Nayru said, "she only remembered when she first sat down on the crate. With her spouting such powerful information, we knew we had to go find out what she was talking about. We told Zelda about it. When we went to leave that evening, Farore wanted to know why. Since we were still quite worried over the earlier incident, we did everything we could to get her to stay behind-coaxing, bribing, even insults. We eventually had to drug her tea so as to give us a few hours advantage. Then we headed to the only place we could imagine the entrance being."

"Wait...entrance...sage and knight...hey, I've got it!" Brittany perked up. "Wasn't Ezlo a sage? Link's a knight, so..."

"That's right," said Din. "We went into the forest where Link and Ezlo met and, sure enough, we found it. The Forest Picori had gathered on a nearby tree branch and were examining the strange place. You couldn't see it, but...it was there. Have you ever seen how that wavering steam comes up from the ground on a hot day?"

Brittany nodded.

"Well, it was like that, only in one huge cylindrical column. The Picori asked us what was going on, but we had no time to talk. We rushed through and, sure enough, found ourselves in a strange world at night. We felt ourselves float down a few feet, then we watched you walked around the building. We had to use our own magic so we could see where we were going. As we got to the fence, we saw the horror on your face as the lights from your mother's machine hit you. We saw how you barely evaded her attacks and we knew we had to do something. We slipped through the gate and, using Nayru's control of time, darted around the area and used my light to distract her. After giving you time to escape, we slowed the time down long enough to run back around front and sneak up behind you. Then Nayru reignited her power and we brought you back."

"Unfortunately," the vocalist joined in, "we could not take you with us for fear of Farore catching up, so we left you at the edge of the forest and told the Picori to watch after you. We needed you to be safe, so we ran up the road to Lon Lon Ranch and undid a few boards from the fence. Then I led one of the cows back to the forest by causing some particularly tasty herbs to spring up-that way, the ranchers would find you later that morning."

"We're sorry for having put you through all of that trouble, Malon," Din said.

Malon smiled. "Oh, that's alright! I'm glad that I could be included in your plan."

"We also apologize for just leaving you there like that, Brittany," Nayru turned to the Earthling. "But we had no other choice. Farore would have caught up to us in no time if the troupe had waited any longer for us."

"That's okay...but..."

A grievously puzzled expression plagued the young woman.

"Yes?" the singer spoke. "What is it?"

"The person you saved was supposed to be an Empath...does that mean...that I am...?"

Both Din and Nayru nodded. "You are now the last Empath in all of Hyrule, Brittany. You are the maiden of which Farore spoke."


	13. Healed!

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

**"**_Healed!_**"**

The overload of information nearly knocked Brittany over. She really _was_ an Empath! She was somebody special! Not only that, but one of the oracles had a vision especially about her! Here she was, once a confused child torn between her zest for life and familial love, finally sought after as important. To think that her luck could do a 180 like that and have her come out on top...

"Brittany, are you going to be alright?" asked Nayru. "I am sure this must be quite a lot for you to take in."

The ex-Earthling shook her head. "No need to worry about me!" she chimed. "In fact, I've never felt better in my whole life! I'm a somebody now!"

"But, you always have been a somebody," Malon spoke up. "Look at all the wonderful things you have done since you came here!"

"That's not what I meant, Malon," Brittany blurted excitedly. "Back there, I was nothing but a fat, crazy girl whose only hope in life was to die an early death to appease her mother. But here, I'm an Empath! And not just any Empath-I'm the _only_ Empath!" Brittany smiled wide, her face glowing with happiness. "Don't you know how good it feels to be recognized as something useful?"

"You may be the last Hylian Empath, Brittany," Din started, "but that does not mean all fun and games. The moment Farore gets back to decipher our scroll, you'll have to help us find this 'heart' thing that she spoke of."

Brittany nodded.

"But before that..." Din stood and picked up the lantern. "Follow me."

The maiden held open the door flap as the Empath and her small entourage exited the tent. Soon, Din began to lead them through the remainder of the field and toward the castle. The guards allowed them safe passage once they recognized the group, then the dancer began to weave a path through one of the side gardens. After they had carefully navigated their way through the labyrinth of hedges, they came to a small clearing by the castle exterior. Din sat her lantern down on the edge of a fountain and motioned for Brittany to take a seat in front of her.

"Why did we come to the castle gardens, Din?" asked the curious girl.

"As Oracle of Seasons, my powers over the earth are at their fullest potential when surrounded by nature," replied the dancer. "So if I am to do this, I need to be at my best."

Brittany cocked her head to the side in confusion, but Din just smiled. "These gardens," she continued, "are nice and secluded. No one that needs not know of my abilities as an oracle shall be able to see us."

The dancer was right about the gardens. The glen was located right at the very corner of the castle's exterior walls, so what the stone foundation did not block, the towering shrubbery of the garden labyrinth did. They were so far into the exterior court that only the sound of the nighttime insects could be heard around them.

"Now..." began the oracle. "Stretch out your leg."

Brittany did as she was told. Gingerly moving her leg so as not to harm her painful knee, she straightened it out on the grass. Din then took her place beside the young woman's leg and pushed her skirt back up over the injured joint. Then, placing her hands over the damaged kneecap, she began to chant.

"_O Spirits of Nature...Please, lend me thine strength to heal this maiden's wound!_"

With that, a deep, red glow began to form beneath Din's palms. The hedges and bushes began to rustle around everyone as if in a breeze, yet there was no wind with which to move them. Suddenly, more lights began to appear-this time, from the earth. At first there were only tiny sparkles of pink and white, but soon those glimmering specks began to streak along the ground in long veins to gather under Din's hands. Brittany watched as Malon-whom had never seen Din's magic before-shrieked and clung to Link's neck (who, being both a gentleman and not wanting to be strangled to death by his friend's terrified grasp, picked her up in his arms). Impa, Nayru and Zelda climbed up on the edge of the fountain, followed by Link once he maneuvered his way over the growing trails of sparkles.

Brittany, though by no small means surprised, was intrigued enough to reach out after the lights to touch one. She dangled her hand in them as they flowed past. A strange warmth tinged her fingertips-almost like the heat of sun-warmed soil. The sparkles continued to drift along until the energy beneath Din's hands had grown into a brilliant orb. Finally, with a swift shove of her wrists, she forced the growing orb down onto Brittany's knee.

It felt like a scalding hot brand had just ripped through her leg. She could feel the tendons and muscles in her leg grow hotter and hotter until she was sure that her flesh would melt. The girl let out a rough hiss and clenched her fingers in the grass beneath her. Her eyes clamped shut and her lips pulled back to reveal gnashing teeth. Finally, a soothing sensation washed over her injured joint, cooling the pained tissue.

Din removed her hands. "Okay, you can look now!"

Brittany gulped in a deep breath. She slowly let her eyes reopen and she looked down at her knee. The slightly swelled flesh around the lower part of the bone had disappeared, but the most amazing feature was that the pain had also disappeared! Instinctively, she jerked forward and grabbed at her knee. She pulled it back up to her, stood up, hopped on it for a bit and...

"My knee...it's HEALED!" shouted Brittany as she bounced around on her once-bum leg. "Guys, look! I can finally jump again!"

The group leapt down from the fountain and ran over to Brittany. "Wow, she did it!" shouted Link.

"I can run, I can dance...Oh, Din!" Brittany turned back around and threw her arms around the oracle in a hug. "Thank you SO much! I finally have the use of both my legs again!"

Din smirked. "Good. Because now, you are definitely going to NEED that leg."

"Huh?" Brittany stopped bouncing and looked up.

"The only way we can find out where that darkness came from is by finding the heart that Farore spoke of," Nayru joined in. "According to her vision, the only way person who can help us is an Empath."

Brittany smiled. "So this means I get to go on my own adventure?" Din nodded, eliciting a squeal of delight from the brunette. "Yah! My very first adventure in Hyrule!"

The excitement she had over her healed leg and the thought of going on a quest hyped Brittany up in a way that she had not been in a long time. She couldn't stay still long enough that night to pay practice her Hylian script, so Pothos and Zelda had no choice but to send her on her way. After months of scarce mobility, her leg was still rather weak, but that did not stop the young woman from trying to strengthen it back up. Unfortunately, her idea of a work-out focused around how high she could jump, so it wasn't a surprise when a tired-looking Impa and Zelda showed up at her bedroom and told her to stop bouncing on the bed.

Yes, Brittany managed to move from the barn up to the castle. As the work on the ranch grew heavier and heavier, the ranchers were working later and later into the night cutting hay and getting the animals ready for the festival. And since all of that racket severely reduced any privacy she may have had, the maiden jumped at the chance when the princess offered her a spare suite at the castle.

For the longest time, Brittany stared up at the ceiling, her heart anxiously thudding against the walls of her chest at the thought of an adventure. Only a few weeks ago, she had come from near roadkill to a special Empath. She had new friends, plenty of work to do, a pleasant place to sleep, and use of both legs...and now she was going to get to travel over a world she once thought never existed!

_Man, what I would give to have grown up in a place like this..._she thought. _To have the bright sunshine beat down on me as I played...to dance whenever I wanted to...to actually have a _reason_ to try sword-fighting! I wonder if Link could teach me? Now that I've got the use of my legs back, I'm sure he or Smith might..._

_**Gurgle...**_

A hand went to her stomach. She hadn't felt very hungry at dinner, and all of that bouncing had worked up an appetite. She pushed herself off of the bed, threw on her bathrobe, and headed out to find the kitchen. It was creepy how empty the castle was at night. During the day, the manor had been busy an so full of life, but now the only thing that could be heard was the sound of her footfalls upon the rug as she trekked her way through the darkened corridor. As she headed further into the castle, her thoughts began to wander.

_The Picori Festival is the day after tomorrow...I wonder what it's going to be like? After all, the festivities themselves were never shown on the game, except for a few merchants' booths. Maybe I'll get to watch the tournament after I help Smith set everything up!_

Shadows danced on the wall from the wavering flame atop her candle. She rounded another corner and headed into another room. Inside, the candlelight fell upon rows after rows of cabinets and shelves that lined the chamber. An enormous cabinet island stood in its center, with an equally huge rack hanging full of pots and pans of various sizes above it. At the end of the chamber rested the great ovens and a kiln that was built into the wall. Brittany walked over to the pantry and, after carefully inspecting the jars, took one down. She pulled out some bread and, pulling a knife from one of the multitude of drawers, proceeded to hack off a huge slice of the loaf. After slathering her piece in honey (what else?), she reaffixed the jar's lid and replaced the remaining goods. She dropped the knife in the gigantic sink as she slipped out of the kitchen.

_How interesting..._thought Brittany as she took a bite of her snack. _A girl like me going to a festival. I'm nearly twenty, yet I am going to a festival. I wonder if they have an unofficial age limit for going, like they do for Halloween? Link was right, though...I wish I had been brought here when I was younger. I would liked to have seen a Picori._

Brittany soon found herself standing in front of her chamber. She pulled open the door and, turning the bolt, she walked over and sat the candle down on the nightstand. She plopped down on her cushy bed and looked around. Zelda had been most generous with the room she had provided. Not only did Brittany have a plush bed that anyone would have died for, but also a nightstand, a small vanity (which, in royal standards, was actually larger than two normal dressers put together), a mirror, a wardrobe, and a huge window so she could look out onto the courtyard.

She glanced over toward the window. The curtains had been draped across it, but Brittany had opened them so that a tiny sliver of sky could be seen. Had she gazed down, she could have seen how the moon illuminated the castle grounds. Instead, she had to be comforted with the silvery light cast onto the windowsill. She stared up at the ceiling and bit another chunk from the bread.

_Picori...I know Ezlo is still alive, but Link mentioned that Vaati is, too. Din said something about the Forest Picori inspecting the portal they brought me through. Does that mean you don't have to be a kid to see them? Or does it have to do with the fact that Din and Nayru are oracles? Maybe there are exceptions..._

The Empath finished up her snack and tossed her robe onto the floor. After pulling the blankets up over herself, she rolled onto her side and snuggled into the downy softness of her pillow. She sighed happily, then gazed absent-mindedly toward the window as slumber overtook her. As her mind slowly drifted off into her dreams and her eyes closed, for a brief moment, she thought she saw the outline of a tiny imp sitting on her windowsill.


	14. Fears and Festivities

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

**"**_Fears and Festivities_**"**

Brittany felt a hand on her shoulder shaking her awake.

"Brittany...BRITTANY! Get up!"

The girl grunted, vaguely aware of what was going on. She could hear noise all around her-mostly from a crowd of teenagers, if she wasn't mistaken. The hand gave her another slight nudge.

"If you don't hurry up, Mr. Birch is gonna wonder why we missed the trip!" With that, she heard footsteps head across the room and out into the hall. The girl groaned again and raised her head. Wiping a bit of drool from her mouth, she made a mental note to bring something to clean the slobber up with the next time she got sleepy in class. Man, did she hate it when that happened (try explaining why a few pages out of your history book are crinkled from moisture and see if it doesn't embarrass you!)! She pushed herself up from her seat and headed out the door.

By now, all of the people had cleared out and her mind started racing! _The trip!_ She was going to miss the trip if she didn't hurry! Her legs picked up speed as she raced down the hall, the dingy grey lockers along the walls becoming a fuzzy blur as she dashed past. She halted briefly, just long enough to skid around the corner, before she renewed her pace afresh. Finally, as she came to the end of the white tiled corridor, she could make out a small crowd standing outside. She threw open the metal doors and pushed her way through.

"Hey, Mr. Birch!" she hollered. "Guys, don't leave without me!"

As the last person climbed aboard the bus, she barely managed to leap onto the first step as the doors closed behind her. Heaving a sigh of relief, she turned to see a crowd of excited teens already in place. As she looked around for a free seat, she heard someone call out to her. An arm was waving at her from the back. Smiling, she bounced off down the aisle and plopped down beside another student.

"Hey, thanks for saving me a seat, man!" she beamed, laying her head back against the tough material of the bus seat. "I really thought everyone was going to run off and leave me-"

"_You know I would never leave you behind, Nee-san..._"

The moment the words hit her ears, Brittany's heart sank. Her body stiffened in fear. There was only one person who called her 'nee-san'...

"Oh...My...GOD!" she shrieked and leapt out of the seat. Turning around, she saw a tall adolescent clothed from head to foot in black. Dark baggy cargo pants, dark sneakers, and even a dark hoodie cloaked the youth's countenance. His head face the window, the hood pulled halfway over his face so you could only make out half the nose down.

"How the hell did _**YOU**_ get on here?" screamed the Empath.

"_Since when have you started cussing, Brittany? It's so unbecoming of you..._"

Her nails dug into her fists as an angry scowl crossed her face. "You know perfectly well how long I have cussed! Why the heck are you even on this bus?"

The young man let out an eerie chuckle, sending a shiver running up Brittany's spine. The youth turned toward her, his face still covered, and spoke.

"_Do you remember how we thought our school was Hell, Brittany?_"

The girl gulped. Something was definitely wrong...she could feel that constricting pain building up within the pit off her stomach and working its way up into her chest. The other students around her were still all chattering away-completely oblivious to the argument going on.

"_Well...we were wrong..._"

Brittany cocked her head to the side. "What do you want, Jay?" she barked.

"_To take the ultimate field trip, my Nee-san..._" the boy rasped. "_Where no one will ever separate us again..._" Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, the boy was no longer sitting in the seat. He now stood at the far end of the aisle in front of the emergency exit. The daylight outside the vehicle began to quickly vanish, leaving the two of them cloaked in darkness. He took a step closer to her. "_Let's go, Brittany-back to the REAL Hell of which we belong!_"

Suddenly, the last slivers of daylight were snuffed out and the remaining students in the bus leapt up into their seats and screeched-making Brittany cover her ears from the piercing screams. She looked around to find, to her horror, not teenagers in the seats but winged demons with bodies bathed in a curling black smoke. Red lights began to spark from within the plumes, illuminating their boar-like muzzles and long, battered tusks streaked with reddish-brown stains. The heavy scent of rotting flesh and fresh blood overwhelmed her senses as the unholy beasts around her began to whoop and chant in unintelligible tongues.

The dark man took a step toward her, causing the hollers of the demons to reignite with new energy. He held out a pale hand with wicked-looking black claws jutting from the ends of his fingers. "_Come...to the ever-lasting torment that such an ugly, selfish bitch like you deserves!_"

Brittany turned and bolted back down the aisle of the bus, barely dodging the swipes the demons aimed at her. But as she reached the end of the aisle, the bus driver stood up. A sickly thin woman with tan arms and a baseball cap pulled over her face blocked the path. The terrified maiden jumped back in surprise.

"What are you DOING?" shrieked Brittany as her heart leapt to her throat. "We have to get off of this bus! Please-let me through!"

"_You're not going anywhere, wench_," the man shouted.

The driver started to walk toward her, its menacing stomps forcing Brittany back. She whirled around to see the hooded fiend right behind her, the surrounding demons cackling with sadistic delight. Soon, the Empath was wedged between the two foes with barely a foot of room.

"_Say good-bye, Brittany..._" the youth whispered. Shuddering, Brittany turned around to see the capped woman's arm rise slowly to her eye level, leaving the hapless Empath staring down the barrel of a gun. The woman raised her head. Brittany could feel the blood in her veins run cold.

"M...Mother..." she gasped out.

The wicked woman's face distorted in a maniacal grin as she pulled the trigger.

_Click!_

"_**!**_"

Brittany shot up from her bed in a cold sweat, her body still trembling in fear and her harried breath was coming out in pants. She looked around. The bus was gone, the demons were gone...Jay and her mother were gone. Only the safety of the castle chamber that had become her temporary home. Her hands went to her head.

"Another nightmare..." the brunette sighed. Her breath began to slow down as the sense of terror left her body. She fell back onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. She had been hoping that they had finally stopped now that she was in Hyrule, but apparently she had yet to be denied that curse.

Even though her body was still aching from her previous days' labor, Brittany was to frightened to go back to sleep. Instead, she concentrated on the sound of running and concerned voices of the servants coming from outside of her door. When she decided that she still had a little energy left, she rolled over and pushed herself off of the side of the bed. She shucked of her nightgown and pulled on a fresh outfit, pulled a bandanna over her hair and joined the chattering servants in the hall. Almost immediately, she was met by the worried faces of Princess Zelda and Impa.

"Great Goddesses, child!" the nursemaid cried. "We thought someone was murdering you!"

"Sorry, Impa," Brittany apologized, "but I was having a nightmare. I didn't mean to worry anyone."

"That's okay, Brittany, as long as you are not hurt," said Zelda. The distressed princess wrinkled her brow in confusion, but Brittany gave her a weary smile and reassured Zelda of her welfare. It took some witty convincing and a pair of swift feet to get the two Hylians off of her case, but the brunette managed to escape her worried benefactors and slip away from the castle.

"It's too busy here for the likes of me," Brittany thought aloud as she dodged the flurry of servants rushing by her. Unfortunately, the outside was not much better. The entire court was filled to the brim with anxious gardeners, and merchants were haggling prices of goods with several of the chefs, so it took some careful maneuvering to avoid being snipped by a pair of harried pruning clips or catching the brunt of a frustrated cook. Once the maiden hit the drawbridge, she bolted out of the way and down through the fields.

"No use in hanging around where I'm not needed, right?" she laughed as broke into a run. She was glad she had not worn her shoes that morning as the crisp grass tickled her bare feet and ankles as she dashed through it. Droplets of dew clung to her legs as a blast of fresh morning wind breezed over the meadow, causing the blades of grass to ripple in a sea of green. To top it all off, the most beautiful rose-and-tangerine sunrise streaked across the clouds in the sky above, bathing the land in a warm, heavenly radiance.

Never had she been more thankful to have the use of her knee back! The harder she pushed herself, the further she could force that wretched nightmare to the back of her mind. With the breeze in her face and the lush scent of the tree blossoms filling her spirit with unearthly delight, her body began to regain some of its energy. All in all, Brittany felt as though she were in paradise.

The first idea that had come to her mind was to go visit Link and pester him into giving her a sword-fighting lesson, but that thought soon left her mind when the troupe's camp came into view. An ethereal voice drifted through the air, followed by the sound of a drum and guitar.

"Din and Nayru must be up," grinned the maiden as she plotted a detour toward the tents. "Maybe Din will let me dance with her! It's been so long since I've got to use both legs..."

The Empath slowed down as she reached the edge of the encampment. Snaking her way through the myriad of tents, she soon found herself at the clearing in its center. Most of the logs had been pushed back to clear as much of the glen as possible, leaving plenty of space for the spirited oracle twirling within it. Several musicians and Nayru had taken up residence on the logs, providing the melody to which Din danced.

"Hey!" announced Brittany. "Good morning, everybody!"

Everyone stopped mid-chord and turned to see the smiling Empath.

"Well, aren't you the early riser? Out to catch worms, Little Bird?" teased Din.

The brunette giggled. "Actually, the castle was pretty packed, so I decided to lit out while the getting was good." The musicians and oracles laughed.

"Good reason," Din said. "But, then again," she leapt toward Brittany and gave a spin in mid-air, "anything is a good excuse to be outdoors!"

"That's why Din's so tan," remarked a little boy wielding a drum. "She never stays in the shade."

The dancer smiled and gave another swift twirl. It seemed as though she were about to go into another routine when the oracle stopped. Her face lit up as she whirled back around to face Brittany.

"Say," the redhead recalled, "didn't you say you liked to dance?" Brittany beamed a smile and Din held out a hand. "Well, why don't you join me, then? It'd be a fun way to try out that healed knee of yours."

The Empath vigorously nodded. She took her place beside Din.

"So, what shall we dance to?" asked the oracle.

"It doesn't matter! Just give me a beat and let the music flow through me!"

Din smirked. "That's my girl! Hey, Nayru!" she called to her sister. "Why don't you and the guys start off?"

"I know the perfect song..." the singer smirked, turning to the musicians. She whispered something to them, then they start grinning. Nayru looked up at the duo. "Ready?"

Brittany and Din nodded.

"A-one...a-two...a-one-two-three-four!" Suddenly, the guitarist strummed a chord. The drummer's hands flew to his drum as the guitarist tapped out a beat on the side of his instrument. Within moments, a flurry of fingers darted across its strings in time with the rampaging torrent of sound that boomed from the drum. Nayru began to tap her foot and clapping to the rhythm.

_Hey...I know this song! _Brittany's mind shouted. _It's the Gerudo Valley theme from the 'Ocarina of Time'! Sweet!_

As the song began to reach the point where the guitarist would play, Din gave Brittany a nod. As the strings joined together with Nayru's trilling, the Empath pushed herself onto the balls of her feet and began to spin. The tempo climbed higher and higher, the deep charming lull of the notes driving Brittany's feet. She gave a small counter-twirl, ricocheting herself back into a momentary standing position. Her arms lifted up over her head as the rest of her body joined the song. The melody curled around her body, enticing her hips to sway with the beat. Stepping forward, she brought her arms down in front of her and began to trace snakelike trails through the air. An abrupt chord was struck. She whirled into another spin, her eyes closing as she fell into a dramatic bend and swept her healed leg around in a curtsy-like fashion, tearing through the grass at her feet. Another spin lifted her onto the balls of her feet once more as she flitted about the glen. As the song's pace picked up and the tune grew more rich and bold, her movements began to go wild. The tune enveloped her in a fiery warmth, matching the beat of her heart and igniting the long-lost dancing spirit within.

She was soon completely caught up in the music. Her spin halted as the song reached its next chorus, allowing her arms to take on life of their own as their whipped through the air like angry vipers. She rolled her head back, allowing her hair to be freed from the bandanna's embrace as she fell into the rhythm. Her entire body writhed with the music, her back arching and stomach fluttering as the tempo increased. The maiden sashayed in her serpentine fashion as she became lost to all but the hypnotizing beat and the feel of her feet against the earth. As the tune reached its peak, she fought to outmaneuver its pace. Finally, the moment the tune reached its climax, she gave a powerful spin and swept into a gracious bow.

"Bravo! Bravo!" shouted Din.

Brittany looked up to see the musicians rubbing their aching hands and Nayru beaming a grin. "I haven't played like that in _**forever**_!" whined the guitarist. "My fingers are stinging like mad..."

"Wow, Brittany," the dancing oracle said, "where did you ever learn to dance like THAT? That was awesome!"

The Empath panted as she rose back into standing position. "I took up dancing a little over a year ago," she smirked. "That's sort of what got me injured...heh heh..."

Suddenly, she became vaguely aware of clapping coming from behind her. Brittany turned around to see not only the ringmaster there, but the entire camp! She felt a blush creep over her face as the whooping and hollering dissipated. She always did get a little carried away when she got caught up in the music.

"Hey, young lady!" the mustached man called out. "That was an extraordinary performance!"

"Uh...thanks," Brittany blushed. "I'm not that good, though...really-"

"Nonsense!" the ringmaster cried out. "You're almost as good as Din here."

The maiden grinned but waved him off. "No, I'm just a beginner..."

"You're a natural, kid! A pure _NATURAL!_" the leader boomed. "Did you ever think about going into performance yourself?"

Brittany looked down at herself. Thin frizzled bed-hair draped over her shoulders, her skirt and blouse clinging to her chubby form from sweat. Not exactly what one would expect a dancer to look like, she believed.

"Honestly, Brittany," Din spoke up, "why don't you come with us? The troupe could use another dancer!"

Brittany looked up at the performers. "But, I don't look anything like a dancer," her mind focused on the oracle's slim physique.

"No problem! We have some extra fabric and stuff," volunteered one of the acrobats, "so we can make you a costume in no time!"

"And I can teach you the movements," offered Din. "They're not that complicated, especially for someone who could move like you did earlier! We'd better hurry, though," the oracle winked. "We've gotta get a move on if you want to be ready in time for the Picori Festival tomorrow!"

The brunette's eyes widened. "You...you actually want...me to be in the Picori Festival?" she gasped. It seemed like a joke until the heads around her started nodding. "Are you all just hard up for a clown or something?"

A small portion of the troupe giggled. "We have all of the clowns we need," the ringmaster thumbed toward the rag-tag group of performers who had laughed. "What we need is another dancer. A pretty partner for Din is sure to bring in some extra money!"

"RINGMASTER!" scoffed Nayru. "That was not very nice!"

The mustachioed leader laughed nervously and turned back to Brittany. "I meant, we could bring smiles to all of the tourists! Y-yeah...that's it! Those wonderful people whom have traveled so far from home just to see us..." he clasped his hands together in a dramatic gesture and got all starry-eyed. "It is the duty of our troupe to give the people what they want to see!"

Brittany cocked her head to the side as the ringmaster dropped down to his knees in a mock bow. "Please!" he begged. "Think of how sad all of the children will be if they don't see an amazing show..."

"Uh...Ringmaster? We're still here, man," reminded the fire-breather.

The leader sweatdropped. "Oh...right. Sorry 'bout that!"

The Empath shook her head. "If you really want me to be in the show, all you had to do was ask! No need to go all sappy-"

"Thank you!" the man leapt to his feet and nearly wrung the girl's hand off in an eager handshake. Before Brittany even had a time to blink, the ringmaster had run off in the direction of the town to announce his new quarry. Din shook her head.

"He's not gonna give anyone the chance to change their mind when it comes to making his wallet fatter," she smirked.

Brittany shook her head as she leaned over to pick up her bandanna. "That's 'kay. I like being in front of people! It's fun!"

"Well, if you don't get stage fright, then the hard part is over! Now," she mused, "let's go rig you up a costume, huh?"


	15. The Performance

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

**"**_The Performance_**"**

For the rest of the day, Brittany was tossed back and forth between the performers as they got her ready for the next day's events. First, she got hauled off into one tent where the oracles and female acrobat set about making the maiden's costume. After rummaging through several pre-sewn garments and listening to a heated argument between Din and Nayru over which color looked better on Brittany, the newbie dancer was fitted with several garments that had been left behind by a previous performer-though she was not at all pleased with a certain top that Din had picked out (after she tired of the girls' ramblings about how cute she looked in it-and the oracle promised to fork over a few smaller pieces of jewelry for the performance-Brittany gave in and consented to wear it). The moment the final decision was made about her wardrobe, Din pulled her out of the tent to start practicing. Several hours into the late afternoon found the girl trudging back to the castle with an exhausted body and a grateful spirit. However, it was when she nearly fell asleep in her bowl of stew that her friends got curious.

"Brittany, where were you all day today?" asked Zelda.

"I went to visit Din and Nayru. Got to meet their troupe, too," said the Empath. "Pretty amusing bunch of people if you ask me."

The princess smiled. "I'm glad you like them."

"Everyone's so eager to see their performance tomorrow," Impa clucked. "The ringmaster was in town today raving about this fabulous new act of his. He refused to tell anyone of us what it is, though...says it's gonna be a surprise. The highlight of the show!"

Brittany nearly chocked on her soup trying to suppress her laughter. _If only you knew, Impa...If only you knew..._

"Did you happen to hear anything about it, my dear?" asked the King.

"As a matter of fact," the brunette replied, "I _**DID**_."

The faces around the table lit up. "Oh, do let us in on it!"

"Sorry! No can do, kingie!"

"Aww, please, Brittany?" Zelda pleaded. "Don't leave us in suspense! Tell us!"

"Nope! You guys gotta find out for yourselves the same way everyone else will-by going to the festival tomorrow."

"Ooh, you're no fun!" the princess pouted. Brittany laughed, bringing smiles back around the table.

"I will tell you this: it will be something you least expect."

"Can't you tell us more than that?" asked Pothos.

"That's all I'm gonna say," Brittany said as she pushed her chair out and headed for the washroom. After taking a nice, long soak, she made her way to her bedroom and got ready to sleep. However, the moment she was about to blow out her candle, she was reminded of something she had seen the night before. She edged over to the window and lifted her candle to inspect the sill, going so far as to pull the curtains back a bit, but she could find nothing. Sighing, she walked back over to the bed, laid the candle down on the nightstand once more and blew out the flame.

_I was certain I saw a Minish last night! _Brittany thought. _Maybe it was just my mind playing tricks on me..._

"Oh, well...at least I should have a lot of fun at the festival tomorrow," she thought aloud. "Zelda and Impa will never guess that the ringmaster's surprise is for me to join Din!"

Hugging her pillow close, she snuggled down into the covers once more and prepared to fall asleep. Her mind, however, decided to ignore her aching body and keep her thoughts tugging at the excitement of the next day's performance. She rolled over onto her back and put her hands behind her head. Brittany lay there for the longest time, mentally rehearsing the routine in her head. Finally, soreness forgotten (well, IGNORED anyway!), she climbed back out of the bed and took to the floor.

Secretly, she made a note to thank Zelda for giving her such a spacious chamber. As the light of the waning moon seeped into the room through the open curtains, she found herself taking position in her practice stance. She pushed herself up onto the balls of her feet and extended a leg out in front of her then, sweeping around, sidestepped and raised her arms above her head. Her hands weaved about like butterflies as she executed a series of fluid, swaying movements at the foot of her bed. Little did she know it at the time, but a set of tiny eyes had been following her every move.

As Brittany waltzed about the room, a tiny shadow no bigger than your pinky nail slipped out from behind the curtain and took its place on the sill. It swept its head from side to side, as if looking to make sure no one saw it, before it sat down and dangled its tiny legs over the edge. The dark blot stayed in the moonlight for the longest time, content just to watch the young woman move.

Even though she had gotten caught up in her routine, the Empath could feel someone watching her. She stopped in her tracks and glanced about the room before hearing a faint sound-much like a dry leaf being raked across wood-on the window sill. Brittany immediately whirled around toward the source, barely catching a glimpse of what looked like a dot darting behind the curtain. She walked over to the window and pulled the curtain back but...

"Nothing..." she sighed. "I could have sworn I saw something. I was hoping it might be a Picori..."

She let the curtain to drape back across the glass and headed back over to the bed and settled down for the night. Unbeknownst to her, the little darkling had leapt onto the fabric and had hidden in a fold when Brittany had picked the curtain up. It swung over to the sill and, making sure not to fall into clear sight, it slide down the curtain and onto the trim. As it was about to leave, it heard the young maiden murmur from the bed.

"In case it was a Picori..." she hushed into her pillow. "Good night, little Minish..."

The tiny imp peeked its head out from behind the curtain. After noticing that Brittany had nodded off to sleep, it gave a slight giggle and disappeared from view.

"My, you're in a hurry today!" shouted Smith as he ran to keep up with the earthen-haired maiden.

"Sorry, Mr. Smith," she panted out as she added another sword to the rack along the edge of the arena, "but I have to meet back up with Din and Nayru before the performance."

The blacksmith smiled. Brittany had been running around at top speed all that morning to help him fix up the arena for the tournament. She had practically ran circles around him and Link as she helped sweep off the town steps and put together the sign-up booth. Unfortunately, she had nearly collided with three guards and his grandson in the process.

"I wish I had some of your energy," teased the old man. "Are you going to stay and watch the sword fighting?"

"Maybe not all of it," beamed the girl as she finished tying a knot in the rope that held up the booth's banner "but I'll show up sooner or later!"

Smith shook his head and Link laughed. "I wish you would tell us what the ringmaster is going to show us," the hero pulled on his end of the rope.

"For the last time, Link-it is a secret! I can't tell you or Zelda or anybody else until it actually happens."

"Aww, c'mon! Just a hint?"

"It will be unexpected. End of story."

Before either the blonde or his grandfather could say a word, Brittany waved good-bye and darted off toward the northern fields. Smith chortled.

"Reminds me a lot of you, I must say," he said, clapping Link on the shoulder.

"Even I'm not _**THAT**_ hyper!"

"No...but you both are hard workers. And she likes the smithy," the old man grinned. "She'd make ya' a nice girlfriend-"

Link nearly fell over. "Me and _**BRITTANY?**_ Have you lost your mind, Grandpa? All those furnace fumes over the years must have done something to your brain..."

Smith furrowed his brow at the young man. "Now, I mean it, Link! She's a nice girl," the elder chided. "You're almost eighteen. Most lads your age already have a sweetheart picked out for a bride." He tugged on the edge of the banner to straighten it out. "I'm getting on in years, kid, so I'd like to see some great-grandchildren before I join your Grandma!"

"Grandpa, don't talk like that," frowned Link.

The old man burst out laughing. "Ah, I'm not leaving this place for a long, long time! I'd just like to spend that time watching you start a family for yourself," the blacksmith started heading back to the smithy.

"Yeah, but...Brittany? No offense, Grandpa, but she's just a friend. I haven't even known her that long!"

"Well, she's not the _ONLY_ lady around these parts, lad," the old man retorted. "Just give it some thought, would ya? It would be nice to see you settle down with a nice girl..."

And with that, Link was left standing alone by the booth. As he waited for the judges to show up and take over the booth, his grandfather's words echoed in his head. Looking around at the growing crowd, Link saw a few couples checking out some of the merchants' wares. He frowned.

_Maybe Grandpa's right..._the boy thought. Ever since he was barely old enough to walk, his grandfather had taken care of him. Since he had no parents or siblings, he did know what it was like to be in a family. And since most of his adolescent years were spent around facing enemies like Vaati, Onox, and Veran, Link just assumed that he would go on adventures the rest of his life. However, within the past few years, he saw the many of the other knights his age court some of the young women from the surrounding land-he had already been present for several of their weddings. Now, here he was, a tall, strong man nearing adulthood and he had never had a single girlfriend! He had not seen the need for courtship before, since his primary concerns had been rescuing the princess and oracles from certain doom, but now he felt the stigma of his bachelorhood. He glanced around as the crowd began to grow.

Sure, he liked girls, and calling on one probably would not be too difficult. After all, he was Hyrule's hero! He couldn't even begin to count the number of times he had caught young maidens giggling and running off when he showed up. Since the only girls he had ever been around were a couple of tomboys, the oracles, and a sassy witchling, he did not have a clue what it was like to have someone crushing on him. That was his one fault: he was completely dense when it came to girls. Actually, the first few times he had passed groups of snickering maidens, he thought that he had something on his face. For about a month, every time he found a mirror or a full rain barrel, he checked to make sure he hadn't grown horns or a zit or something.

Still...he was a total dunce when it came to attracting the opposite sex. He tried to think of anyone he could possibly call on (hypothetically, of course). His grandfather had mentioned Brittany. Link shook his head. She was a nice lady and all, but she was older than him and much more concerned with work than boys-a good friend, but nothing more. Then there was Maple, the young witch who helped him save Din. Unfortunately, he had not seen her for about three years, so he had no way of knowing if she liked him or not. There were quite a few girls from his own village who were single, and some of the other knights had pestered him about the noblemen's daughters when they visited nearby kingdoms.

When he really got to really thinking about it, though, only two young women came to mind: his childhood friends, Malon and Zelda. He enjoyed hanging out with both of them, and they were very sweet girls. Malon, with her fiery hair and charming manner, had already found several admirers among the townsfolk-namely the ranch worker, Milo. She would probably be married off before too long with the way everyone flocked to her and settle down on Lon Lon Ranch like her father had. Link had to admit that, if it came to marriage, Malon would probably make someone a nice wife.

Then there was the princess. Kind and gentle with an independent spirit, Link could imagine how great a leader Zelda would someday become. Nobles and aristocrats from all over the world had already sent invitations to call upon her, but her father had refused their claims as suitors until his daughter had reached the proper age (in reality, he probably did not want to see his little princess leave her home...and her father...to rule another country). Still, the king would probably have to consent soon in order to make future alliances. It was perfectly understandable why someone would want Hyrule's crown jewel for a wife. Not only was her homeland the prize of nations far and wide, but Zelda herself was quite the catch, too. She was tall and lithe, with long, silky hair the color of the sun and eyes that shimmered like the purest summer skies. Her wisdom rivaled most scholars thrice her age and she could defend herself if need be.

_Ah, who am I kidding?_ Link thought. _She'll probably wind up getting hitched to some royal..._

Just then, an amusing thought entered his mind. Knowing the King, he would probably play matchmaker between his daughter and Labrynna's Prince Ralph. Link snickered. He could just see the wedding now...Zelda would be wadding up petals from her bouquet and flicking them at random guests whom had started to doze off while Ralph would be bawling like a baby. The priest would probably have to conk him on the head with the ceremonial chalice just to get him to quit whining 'Nayru' every five seconds! After dealing with those two for a few minutes, everyone would probably forget the wedding and go attack the cake.

_Zelda is pretty, though...and she's a princess. It won't be very long until her father has to let the suitors come. What will Zelda do then? Those noblemen probably won't like their possible girlfriend hanging out with another guy..._

For some strange reason, Link felt a twinge of sadness run through him. He shook his head.

_Snap out of it, Link!_ he told himself. _Why do you care about who she marries? Darn Grandpa...screwing with my head like that! Gah!_

"Link!"

The Hylian turned around to see the aforementioned teen running toward him. "H-hey there, Zelda," the youth stuttered.

_Way to go, you idiot! She's gonna suspect something. Oh, Grandpa is SO gonna pay for this!_

While Link was secretly plotting smuggling some explosive Ember seeds into the blacksmith's furnace, he walked around with Zelda to visit the various attractions at the festival. He caught sight of a slightly disgruntled Malon, who was currently dragging Milo away from another flirtatious conquest. Together, the four Hylians spent most of the morning joking and running through the town as the remaining festivities began to start. As the Picori Festival dragged on into midday and the sword fighting got underway, Link and his friends began to wonder where Brittany had gone.

"I thought she said that she was going to watch the tournament with us," Malon pouted, practically clinging to Link. After dealing with Milo's annoying antics all morning, she had snuck closer and closer to the hero until it looked as though they were attached at the hip.

"Yeah, that's what she told me and Grandpa," mentioned Link, "but I haven't seen her since this morning."

"Didn't she say something about meeting Din and Nayru?" Zelda joined in.

Link turned away from the match and nodded.

"I just saw the troupe come down from the fields. They are supposed to perform after the first three matches are over."

Finally, one of the swordsmen they had been watching was knocked to the ground and his opponent's blade thrust to his chin, ending the match. After the victor had been declared, the troupe's ringmaster took to the arena.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls!" he called out. "Today, we have a real treat for you. Right at this very moment, our own arena has been prepared in North Hylian fields. For a meager contribution to our humble troupe, you may join us and watch the show!"

A great cheer rang up from the crowd. "As you know," he continued, "this year, we have a surprise in store for you! Now, before the suspense kills you, I suggest that we all go and take our seats before the perform-."

Before the ringmaster even had a chance to finish, the whole of the village had scrambled up the steps and headed out of the town. In the North Hylian fields, the ringmaster had found an ingenious way to keep people from sneaking into the camp. The troupe had rearranged the tents so that they formed a closely knit circle within the center of the clearing. Link and his gang followed the mob of chattering festival-goers into one of the tents, paid for their tickets, then shuffled out of the back and into a small clearing.

The whole glen had been set up around a small stage. Ever since the oracles had returned from capture a few years prior, Zelda had convinced her father to allow a performance platform to be erected in the middle of the North Hylian fields. It wasn't very elaborate-just a raised block of white stone with the Hylian Royal Family crest etched into the center, about as wide and long as the height of two fully grown Hylian men. It was barely three feet high and had a tiny row of steps on each of its sides. Logs had been placed around the stage as makeshift seats, upon which the group of teens crowded.

After everyone had gathered together (_**A/N:**_ man, this sound more like church than a performance...), the ringmaster reappeared and took the stage. He raised the bleached-bone horn to his lips and gave a blow, attracting everyone's attention.

"Now that we are all here," he began, a smile growing on his mustachioed lips, "it's time for you all to see that surprise we promised!" He turned around and stretched out his arm toward one of the tents. "First off, we have a face you all know and love! That fiery-haired maiden from the land of Holodrum, the majestic dancer Din!"

A roar of cheers erupted from the crowd as the door-flap to the tent was lifted. The oracle waltzed out from the opening and, waving to the mob, joined the ringmaster on stage. The man grinned and looked around at the people.

"We also have with us that angelic vocalist from Labrynna and her entourage of musicians, who will supply the music for our little show."

Out stepped the remaining performers, who immediately took their positions along the steps on one side of the stage. Nayru came out last. She turned and flashed a soothing smile to a figure still inside of the tent before taking her place between the guitarist and one of the drummers. Finally, with a nod from the singer, the ringmaster spoke up for the last time.

"And now...for the surprise! For the very first time ever, joining Din onstage today, one of our up-and-coming performers shall make her debut!"

Surprise marked the faces of everyone in the crowd.

"A _new_ dancer?" Zelda whispered.

"So THAT'S what the ringmaster kept going on about!" replied Link. "She's got to be really good-he only gets crazy like this when he knows he's going to make a lot of money. He did the same thing when Din and I had been with the troupe for a while. He must be really confident in the new girl for him to be going bonkers like this..."

The ringmaster stomped off the stage and raced to the entrance of the tent. "I give you the new and enchanting maiden of the dance! The enigma from miles around that just appeared in Hyrule not so very long ago," he began shouting and making dramatic gestures with his arms. "This young woman, whose past remains yet another of our world's many mysteries, brings with her a most unique talent from foreign lands unknown!"

Din and Nayru frowned at the ringmaster, but neither he nor anyone else seemed to notice.

"Introducing for the very first and most certainly not the last time ever, I give you our new maiden wonder!" he stepped aside and threw his arm out toward the door. A hush fell over the crowd. It was as if everyone had frozen in their seats. All eyes were focused on the tent's opening...

...but nothing happened.

A bead of sweat ran down the ringmaster's face. "Hey," he whispered to the girl inside, "That's YOUR cue! Get out here!"

Suddenly, the figure inside the tent emerged from the shadows and stepped into the light. A slightly plump young woman appeared. The ruffled Bohemian-style skirt rustled gracefully around her legs, radiating a golden glow as the radiant summer sunshine bathed its saffron fabric. She was barefoot, with a golden anklet and two small matching bracelets encircling her wrists. A few wolf whistles rose up from the crowd once they caught sight of her top-a startling white Gypsy's blouse that draped off of her shoulders and exposed just the tiniest bit of her ample cleavage, its enormous puffy sleeves draping down to little tapers just above her wrists. Her long, dark chestnut hair shimmered in the light and clashed against the sharp contrast of her pale flesh. A tangerine veil draped across her face, upon which sat a pair of slim glasses, and matching fringed sashes clung to her waist and around her forehead. She looked at the ringmaster, who had a puzzled look on his face.

"What's with the veil?" he abandoned the dramatic voice.

"That's part of the surprise, you numbskull!" shouted Din. The spectators broke out into raucous laughter.

The mustachioed man let out a grunt. "Well," he said, turning to the new maiden, "go on and get upstage."

The young woman nodded and headed up the steps, with the ringmaster following her to the bottom one. "And now, for the moment you have all been waiting for!" he shouted out into the crowd. "Our new performer-who shall remain nameless until after the first dance-and our beloved Din shall perform a routine TOGETHER!"

The mob burst out into a cheer as the ringmaster took his seat. With a flick of his wrist, the musicians hoisted their instruments and got into position.

"Ready? One...a-two...a-one-two-three-four...!"

Link and his friends watched as the guitarist swiped his fingers over the strings in one sharp movement. The youth began to pat out a beat on the side of his instrument as Nayru and the other musicians began to tap their feet. The dancers stood side beside one another, their gazes locked as, one-by-one, the members of their audience began to clap their hands in time to the music.

Suddenly, the guitarist's hands began to fly across the strings in furious motion and the drummers joined in with their own lively beat. Upon hearing the new chord struck, the two dancers leapt apart and began to spin. As the tempo increased, so did the claps-which just fueled the dancers even more. Soon, the oracle and her partner began to sweep across the square, their legs twirling in time with the beat and arms whipping through the air with a life of their own. When one spun, the other spun. If the brunette jumped, Din leapt in the opposite direction. They executed a series of graceful twirls and other movements around the stage, the stranger in the middle and Din darting about to accent her partner's steps.

Link soon found Zelda leaning close to him. "What a shame Brittany is not here to see this!" exclaimed the princess. The hero began to look around. Zelda had been right-their mysterious young friend was nowhere in sight. While his friends continued to clap, he turned around and scanned the crowd. Perhaps she had come to watch and had merely missed them?

"She was supposed to have met with Din and Nayru earlier," he whispered to his flaxen-haired friend.

The princess' head snapped up in surprise. "She did? But, then where is she now?"

"I don't know...Maybe she went down to the square?"

"I think she would have noticed the group of people trailing back to the camp. Besides," Zelda added, "now that the oracles are here, I don't think she would go too far away. At least, not until Farore gets back."

"But, then, where is she-"

That's when Link saw it. The newbie dancer had drifted close to the side in front of him and looked right at him. Not only that, but she had WINKED! She winked at him! He could have sworn he could see a smile forming beneath the slightly sheer fabric of the young woman's veil once he noticed.

"Did you SEE that, Zelda?" the youth shouted.

"She winked at us!" Malon chimed in.

"Hey, cutie!" Milo stood up and started waving. "Gimme another wink, baby!...Ow, Malon! Leggo my ear!"

Link ignored the warring couple and looked back up at the stage. There was no way...he had to have been mistaken. However, when he caught sight of the brunette and she winked again, suspicion clouded his thoughts. The new performer had pale skin, dark hair, and glasses...the same as Brittany! But there was no way it could be her...

Could it?

Finally, a quick final note was pounded out on the drums and the guitarist let his fingers fall from the cords. As the song ended, the new dancer slumped to her knees and stretched her arms to the sky, with Din promptly taking position behind her and pointing her own limbs toward the ground. The crowd roared forth with cheers, everyone hurling words of praise-and a few rupees-toward the posing dancers. Din helped the maiden to her feet as the ringmaster ran back up onto the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he breathlessly remarked, "let's give another joyous round of applause to our two wonderful dancers, Din and her partner Brittany!"

At the troupe leader was issuing those last words, the brunette ripped the veil from her face and pulled off her head sash-revealing a beaming face and a pair of small, rounded ears. More cheers and catcalls bellowed out from the spectators as the Empath rolled her shoulder and fluttered her eyelashes in a sexy gaze.

The ringmaster turned to Brittany. "Well, miss," he boomed in his overly-dramatic voice, "it seems like our audience has taken a liking to you! What do you say to giving them an encore performance before the others come out to perform?"

Brittany smiled and curtsied. "It would be my pleasure!" She turned her face toward Link and his three friends and mouthed the words 'hi guys'.

"Okay! Now, what shall you perfo-"

"_**! A BEAR! HELP!**_"

An ear-shattering scream pierced the air. The crowd turned in the direction of the town as another shriek rang out.

"A bear...?" Din said to herself. Brittany barely had time to register the words when Nayru unexpectedly bolted from her seat and through the tent the crowd had come through. The dancers raced from the stage after her with Link and his gang hot on their heels. Brittany swiped the heavy canvas of the door flap out of her way as she and Din shouted after the oracle.

"Nayru! Come back here! There might be danger!" yelled the redheaded oracle.

"Gah...what's gotten into your sister, Din?" shouted Brittany.

"I don't' know," grunted the dancer as they darted through the tent's opening. "She's been on edge all morning. We've both had a bad feeling about something for the past two days, but Nayru more than me. You saw how skittish she was this morning."

It was true. Ever since Brittany had shown up for dance practice that morning, the singer had been unusually pale and had taken to pacing back and forth until the performance. She'd been so jumpy...

Nayru paused at the top of the stairs as several frightened Hylians ran into the fields, giving the group time to catch up with her. "Oh, Goddesses, don't let it be who I think it is..." panted the oracle.

"Who?" Din shouted as they reached the edge of the field.

"Do you suppose it could be...?" Nayru's voice halted as a boy came running up from the town and nearly slammed into her. She grabbed hold of his arm. "Please, sir, can you tell me what is going on?"

The terrorized child gazed up at her with worry in his eyes. "A big blue bear just showed up from out of nowhere and started running through the town! He's covered in dirt and blood..."

"A blue bear..." Nayru's face went ghostly white as her head whipped back toward the village. "Oh, NO!"

Before anyone could stop her, the singer had bolted down the road and through the flights of steps of the upper section of town. Brittany and the remaining Hylians gave chase. Pretty soon, though, Din had run past them and had disappeared out of sight.

"Din, wait!" Brittany called out, but to no avail. As they raced down the stairs, she was soon faced with a horrifying scene. In the middle of the square lay a huge bear with tiny wings attached to its back. Patches of blood-soaked dirt and grime mixed with the azure of its fur. Nayru had collapsed on top of the creature, sobbing, while Din was vigorously rubbing its face and trying to slap some life back into it. Brittany heard a gasp from behind her.

"Oh dear Goddesses..."

She turned around the find a shocked Link, the color suddenly drained from his face.

"It's Moosh..."


	16. Kidnapped!

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

**"**_Kidnapped!_**"**

"Moosh!" Link shouted as he darted past Brittany. His face was wracked with worry. Before he could reach the bear, however, Nayru threw out a hand. Her ear was still pressed down against the creature's chest.

"Wait a minute...he is still breathing!"

Din turned to the bear and put her own ear to his throat. "She...she's right!"

"Din-Nayru! Blast it all-MOVE!"

Brittany whirled around to see a concerned Impa push her way through the remainder of the fleeing townsfolk and force her way down the steps. Din's head shot back up.

"Impa-"

The nursemaid grabbed hold of Din's wrist and pulled her back. "Nayru, get away from the beast! He could tear you apart!"

"Impa, that's no beast!" Link retaliated. "His name's Moosh! He's the bear who helped me rescue Din in the first place!" The nursemaid gave a frustrated glance back down at the creature. Her eyes widened. "Do you remember now?"

Impa immediately released her grip on the oracle's wrist. "It can't be! I thought Moosh always hung around Farore-" Suddenly, the panicked grimaces on Din and Nayru's faces registered to the burly woman. "Oh, Goddesses...where's Farore?"

The giant ball of blue fur let out a wheeze, sending the nursemaid, dancer and Link scuffling to kneel down in front of Moosh. Movement could be seen rippling beneath the creature's eyelids as his brow contorted into a grimace of pain.

"L...Link..."

The knight bent close to the bear and stroked his haggard face. "Yeah, Moosh..." he murmured, "...I'm here, old friend."

Brittany watched as the beast strained to open his eyes. Staring up into the face of the green-clad youth, he spoke. "Link...Fa...Farore..."

"What about Farore?" gasped Din as she scooted in closer. "Please, tell me where she is!"

"Farore...t-taken...prisoner..." Moosh panted out. "I couldn't...stop...ran...all the way...help Farore..." The bear's remaining energy finally gave out and his head dropped back to the ground. The Hylians forced themselves to their feet just as distant yelling from the fields began to draw closer.

"Impa, it's the guards!" Zelda shouted.

"C'mon," Link said, "we have to get Moosh outta here!"

Everyone just looked at Impa, who gazed around for a few moments and sighed. "Fine, I'll get him," the nursemaid said. The stout Hylian waved her arms for everyone to step back as she moved closer to the unconscious creature. Then, dropping to one knee, she tugged the creature's heavy forearms over her shoulders and hoisted the bear half-way onto her back. Brittany, to say the least, was shocked.

"You...you just picked up a _**BEAR!**_"the Empath shouted.

The flustered nursemaid turned to the girl, her body straining under the weight of her burden. "Yeah, so what? Link, tell me where you want this lug!"

The Hylian nodded. "Quickly-follow me!"

Needless to say, Talon was by no means content to find his cattle running for their lives at the sight of a giant bear being hauled into the ranch. However, since that was the only place nearby where they could safely hide Moosh from the guards, they had to stow the injured animal there until the commotion back in town died down. Impa took up position at one end of the barn while Malon and Milo went to help round up the runaway livestock. The oracles used their magic to heal their friend and restored his energy enough for him to talk.

The bear gave out a groan. "Look, guys!" Brittany said. "I think he's waking up!" She watched as the muscles in the creature's side stiffened, allowing the winged beast to push himself up into sitting position. The moment he did, however, Moosh became woozy and fell back to the side. Instinctively, the girls and knight rushed forward.

"Easy there, buddy," Din crooned. "Don't go undoing our magic. It took forever to heal you!"

The creature looked up to see everyone kneeling around him. Much more carefully this time, he struggled to try and sit on his haunches again. After several tedious minutes of watching the bear wobble about on his weary forelimbs, the bunch gave a collective sigh of relief as Moosh's dizzy spell faded and he pushed himself into sitting position.

"Din...Nayru...Link..."

"Moosh," the singer spoke, "where's Farore?"

At that, big tears welled up in the bear's eyes and he started bawling.

"_**FARORAAAAAWWWWWWR!**_"

The great beast's cry soon became a bellow that shook the very rafters of the barn. Din and Link reached to comfort him as he collapsed forward with his paws clamped over his gushing eyes.

"Now, don't, Moosh," the redhead stroked the animal's neck. "It's okay. Just tell us what happened."

The bear looked up with huge dirty tearstains running down his cheeks. "Okay," he sniffed.

"Now," Link said, "what happened to Farore?"

The brute sat back. "Well, Farore and I were going after you guys," he choked out between sobbing breaths. "We got into Holodrum about a three weeks ago. We had been following the troupe for the longest time, but Farore suddenly got the idea that we should turn south-so we did."

"Drat," Din muttered, "how did she figure out we stopped following the troupe?"

"She didn't," Moosh said. "Farore thought you guys were still with the troupe, but after I had a little incident at one town's bee farm, we had to take a detour so the villagers wouldn't catch us."

"Go figure his tummy would get 'em into trouble," Brittany heard Link's sarcastic murmur.

The singer shot Link a frustrated look. "Go on, Moosh," Nayru said.

"Well, we kept running until we finally gave them the slip. By the time that happened, we were lost. We wandered down the road in hopes that we would find our way back, but all we managed to do was wear ourselves out."

Moosh sucked in a deep, heavy breath. As much as the oracles had managed to heal the blue beast, he was still weary from his flight. He let out a great yawn and continued with the tale.

"As we were heading down this one road, Farore had this strange look go across her face."

"What kind of look, Moosh?" Nayru asked.

"Like...it was like she _knew_ where we were," he replied. "She said she recognized the area and took off running down the road. Of course, I thought she meant that she was talking about the way back to town. But since it didn't _smell_ like the way back, I tried to stop her. Unfortunately, she was way too excited to listen and just started rambling on about something that she had dreamt about."

Beads of perspiration began to break out on the blunette's forehead. "Oh my..." From the look she was giving Brittany, that obviously was not good news.

"Well, like I was saying-Farore ran off before I could stop her. I chased after her when she darted down the road, but then I got a little..." As if on cue, Moosh's stomach gave a gurgle. An embarrassed look crossed his muzzle as a gargantuan paw went to his furred belly. "Um..._sidetracked_."

Din let her head fall with a groan and one of Link's eyes began to twitch.

_Looks like Moosh's stomach got him more than just a _'little' _sidetracked..._thought Brittany.

"Anyway, I would have kept following her, but all of that running really worked up an appetite! Not long after Farore got out of sight, I found this lovely patch of berries," drops of heavy, slimy bear drool began to trickle down in rivulets from the corner of his huge maw. "Oh, they were heavenly! There wasn't enough to make a decent snack, but, my, what a taste-"

"_**Moosh...**_" Din growled. "What happened to _**Farore?**_"

The bear's face suddenly fell. From the way Moosh stopped drooling so fast, Brittany knew guilt must have overruled his hunger.

"I...I heard Farore scream," the winged creature spoke up. "I took off running toward the sound, but by the time I reached the top of the hill in the road, all I could see was a dust cloud and the rear ends of a herd of horses. There were four riders, each with a long, dark purple cloak. I saw Farore tossed over one of the horses. I think someone knocked her out."

Moosh heaved another weary sigh. "I ran after them, but as I closed in, the rider on the same horse as Farore whirled around and held up a hand. The rider shouted something in some language I didn't understand. The next thing I know, this huge light just bursts out of the guy's hand, and I wake up in the middle of the night!"

"A spell..." Nayru paled.

"I don't know what it was, but I went looking for her as soon as I woke up. The horses had gone too far, though, so I just did the only thing I could and turned back. I hurt all over, but I ran back as fast as I could. By morning, I found my way back through that village and into Holodrum. A few days later I wound up here," Moosh looked down at the blunette with tears in his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Nayru! You and Din always trusted me to look after Farore ever since we met, and I failed..."

Nayru nodded to the bear and petted his arm. "No, Moosh, you did what you could," she hugged his furred limb. "Do not blame yourself for what happened. You got back here as fast you could."

The shuffling of feet could be heard coming up the aisle of the barn. The ranchers had returned, each holding a bucket of milk. Milo was bravely shielding Malon from the possible threat of a wild animal attack. The moment he noticed Moosh was awake, though, the freckled worker's eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets and his body started shaking-sloshing a few drops of the white liquid over the rim of the pail he carried.

"W-w-we b-br-brought ya' s-some m-mmi-mil-"

Malon shook her head. "Oh, for Heaven's sake, Milo! The poor injured thing isn't going to hurt you!" the farm girl stepped forward and offered her bucket. "We finally ran down the cattle, so we thought we'd bring the bear some milk."

Milo's face screwed up in worry and he grabbed her wrist. "What are you DOING, Malon?" the ranch hand spat. "That thing could rip you to _**shreds!**_"

"Milo," the redhead jerked herself free, "cut it out!"

"Did you say 'milk'?"

The two ranchers immediately ceased their argument and turned toward Moosh. A small stream of drool was once more trickling over his furry muzzle.

"D-did that thing just _**TALK?**_" Milo squeaked. Malon merely walked over to Moosh and forked over the pail. The bear offered a quick thanks and took the pail in his claws, downing the milk in a few breathless gulps. The rancher giggled as some of the milk dribbled down the beast's neck and chest. Once Milo saw that Moosh was not about to go on a rampage and destroy the barn, he handed over his own bucket.

"I'll take over from here, okay?" Malon said to Nayru. She gave the oracle a wink, eliciting a nod from the blunette. She stood and motioned for the others to follow as Malon, with a nervous Milo looking on, began to fawn over the tired bear. The group left the barn and headed into the field.

"It's just as we feared, Din," Nayru finally spoke.

"I know," the dancer replied. "Farore has been kidnapped."

"We must go after her-"

"NO!" Everyone turned to a gravely concerned Impa. The nursemaid had, too, lost most of the color in her face, but her brow was narrowed in maternal determination. "If Farore has been kidnapped-especially by some anonymous magic-user-then you two are in danger, as well. There is no telling what her captors are planning to do, but we cannot afford to lose either of you right now."

"But Impa," Nayru protested, "she is our _sister_! You cannot just expect us to sit around and hope for her escape!"

"I understand that, Nayru, but you have no choice. With Din and your abilities to control nature and time, we cannot allow you the two of you to be put in peril. I'm sorry, but...you must not leave Hyrule."

Nayru turned her face away as her tears glistened afresh, and Din grew scarlet with anger. "Then what about Farore, Impa? Do you actually think that someone who would kidnap her has good intentions?" the dancer's hands balled into fists. "If we don't go after her, then who will?"

"I will."

Link stepped forward and put his hand on Din's shoulder. "I saved you and Nayru, Din," the hero chimed in. "I won't allow Farore's powers to be used against her will, either."

The crimson-faced oracle frowned. "But Link, you're a knight now! You can't just go running off away from your duties!"

"There are still plenty of knights to take my place while I am gone," Link replied. "It's not like I plan on spending a decade away from home! No one will miss me if I am gone for just a little while."

"That's not the only thing, Link," Nayru spoke up. "We have no idea what sort of enemy we're up against. At least with Onox and Veran, you had an idea of what they were capable of."

"That may be so, but I've never been one to let the unknown stop me!" the Hylian youth beamed a grin. "You should know that by now."

"But, what about..." Nayru stopped short and gave a quick glance over to Zelda. Even though Link was about as dense as anyone could get when it came to romantic matters, it was painfully obvious to everyone else in the group that the princess had feelings for the young man. They also knew that, as soon as the princess turned eighteen, her father would be forced to allow her suitors. If Link left for a long time, Zelda might be forced to marry someone else while he was gone! No one knew if Link was particularly partial to the princess, but anyone could see that it would break the girl's heart to have to give in to her duty in Link's absence...

"You have nothing to worry about, Nayru. You'll see your sister again soon!"

"You're a fool, Link!" Impa shouted out. "I know you have gone up against some pretty powerful enemies in the past, but blindly running off into a fray will only get you injured...or worse!"

"I won't be going off alone, Impa-I will have Moosh to guide me, if he will consent to it. Besides-I'm older and a lot stronger than I was when I fought Veran. This is probably just some random capture by the few remaining followers of Ganon. You know how loyal some of those fanatics get. There are still monsters running around long after his defeat."

Din shook her head. "Impa is right. It is foolhardy to rush off without knowing anything about your enemy like that."

"Well, then, I'll just ask Moosh if he remembers any details about Farore's captors-"

"I already have!"

Malon appeared at the entrance to the barn.

"Hey, Malon," Link called out. "Uh...where's Milo?"

"He was still worried that Moosh was gonna go bonkers and slash my throat out or something, so I left him in there to fix some straw up for Moosh's bed." the girl let out a devious giggle. Obviously, she quite enjoyed scaring the living daylights out of her little friend.

"So, what did you find out?" Zelda joined in.

"Moosh doesn't remember much about the riders except that they wore full-length, deep purple cloaks. He didn't get to see their faces because the hoods covered their faces, but he DID notice one thing...about the horses."

"Really? What was it?" Link asked.

"The horses were all dark red in color with black manes and tails," she said. "Horses like that aren't native to anywhere in Holodrum-the only one even remotely resembling that description is the horse Sir Verdun tried to steal, and Father bartered for him back when he was a colt. Oh, and one of the ones Moosh saw had two curved tadpoles imprinted on its forehead."

"Curved tadpoles?" Brittany stared at Malon, her head cocked to the side and one eyebrow raised in confusion.

"I don't know what that would look like, but he said it's hard to miss," she said. "Also, he said that the horses had a strange smell. He didn't know of what, only that it was a very sweet, pungent odor."

"Well, Link," Impa sighed, "there's your clue! Two curved tadpoles and a smelly magic-user! How are you going to find someone like that? Take a bloodhound?"

"No...no, not a bloodhound," Nayru murmured.

"What, Nayru?"

"You use a hound to find scent," Nayru replied, "but only Moosh knows what that smell was. It would be useless to take along a dog. You would have more luck focusing on finding that magic-user."

"But how would I do that?" Link questioned.

"Well," Din chimed in, "how about taking along another magic-user? After all, magic senses magic-especially some force powerful enough to knock out Moosh!"

"I already said you and Nayru are to stay here!" Impa scolded.

"I wasn't referring to myself, Impa."

"But the only other magic-users in Hyrule are those that live in Cloud Tops and the Picori!" Link shouted. "The Cloud people won't be very useful on land, though, and the Picori Gate only opens once everyone hundred years!"

"That's why it's a good thing to have the Oracle of Time on your side!" Din waved to her sister.

Brittany's eyes went wide with shock. "Can you really open the Picori Gate, Nayru?"

"I have never tried," Nayru admitted, "but I believe I might be able to do so without actually changing the time in the rest of the realm if I just age the Gate."

"Then what are we waiting for?" whooped Link. "Let's go back to Hyrule Castle and open that Gate! The sooner we leave, the sooner I can get Farore back!"


	17. Parental Pride

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

**"**_Paternal Pride_**"**

Before they got anywhere near the Gate, however, Brittany and the group of Hylians (minus Malon, whom had elected to stay behind and ask Talon about the origins of those mysterious horses) ran into a royal bout of trouble. As it turned out, the news about a giant bear bursting into Hyrule Castle Town and the momentary disappearance of Princess Zelda had quickly reached the King's ears-who, in turn, promptly _freaked_. Before they even got more than a few yards down the road, the bunch was met by a barrage of harried guards. They were lead by a bawling Minister Pothos.

"Oh, milady!" warbled the little man. "We feared something had happened to you! The King's stomach has been all up in knots ever since he heard of that bear."

"I apologize, Minister," Zelda placed her hands on the noble's shoulders. "I never meant to worry Father, nor anyone else, for that matter."

"Please, you must go show him that you are safe!"

"Yes, we needed to see Father, anyway," Zelda turned toward Link and gave him a 'looks-like-we-won't-be-keeping-your-mission-a-secret-after-all' look before heading off to the castle. By the time they reached the throne room, the whole court was in an uproar over the incident at the festival.

"Leave no stone unturned until you find that wretched beast!" bellowed the King as he grabbed the chain mail of a nearby guard. "If it's got my daughter, I want its blue hide for a rug-"

"FATHER!"

The King immediately turned towards the entrance of the room as his daughter came running up the aisle. Her friends dashed along behind her.

"Oh, my precious Zelda!" cried the King. "You are safe!"

"Father, call off this foolish hunt!" Zelda shouted. "That bear was Farore's companion! He's no threat!"

The King looked surprised but quickly complied. "Ur...Yes! GUARDS!" the knights practically fell over themselves rushing back into the throne room. "Call off the hunt immediately! I want this done yesterday!"

"Yessir!" the guards all saluted and took off into the corridor. Once the group was left alone with the royal, Brittany piped up.

"Wow, Zelda, I didn't know your father was so strong!"

Everyone glanced up at the King, who still had a tight grip on the one guard's chain mail brynnie-lifting him several feet off of the ground. A bead of sweat rolled down His Majesty's face and he let out a cough.

"Oh...forgive me, good sir knight," he eased the man back down to the ground. The knight, still frightened that the King might change his mind and use him a punching bag, saluted and ran to join the others. As the heavy doors slammed shut and their echo rang out, the monarch turned his attentions back to his daughter.

"Father, I apologize for my sudden absence, but it could not be helped."

The King let out a huff. "I suppose you have a good reason as to why you rushed off and left your poor father to worry for your safety."

"Dear Father, it is not my safety that should concern you, but that of our beloved Farore."

"Farore?" puzzled the portly royal. "That sweet child that tells such wonderful stories in the town? My dear, whatever evil has befallen her?"

"Perhaps His Majesty might need to sit down for this one," Brittany piped up. The King gave a nod and took his place on the throne as Zelda proceeded to relate the events of the morning. Once she had finished Moosh's account, the King began to stroke his long beard in heavy concentration.

"I see..." the King spoke. "Young Miss Farore was taken by those ruffians. What are we to do, my child?"

"Link has volunteered to go after her in place of the remaining oracles. Allowing Farore's sisters to venture outside of Hyrule could prove perilous to both them and the rest of the world, should they, too, find themselves recaptured. Lady Din suggests that Lady Nayru use her control of time to try and reopen the Picori Gate so that one of the Picori might accompany Link and helped him to locate the nefarious magic-user."

"Of course, my son," the monarch nodded to Link. "You must go forth, post haste!"

"But your Majesty," Impa protested, "He is still just one lad! Even if one of those wee folk go with him, it may not be enough! Given the circumstances, Your Highness, I must insist that Sir Link take a companion with him."

"But who am I to take with me, Impa?" Link said. "How many others know as much about the monsters and the people in the other lands as I do? Forgive my impudence, Your Majesty, but few of your knights have seen half as much battle as I have, and no one else knows of Farore's gifts."

Brittany's mind raced. Link was right-none of the knights knew about Farore being an oracle. And it was doubtful that anyone would be willing to rescue Farore without wondering why someone would kidnap her in the first place (letting anyone in on that secret could be disastrous if another mind-controller like Veran came along).

Her heart thudded against the walls of her chest. Farore was the whole reason she was even still alive. If something happened to the oracle, she might never know why she survived! This was her big chance to do what she had always dreamt about-to go on her own adventure! Her arm took on a life of its own and she raised her hand.

"I'll go!"

"You?" Link turned around.

"No, Minister Pothos...of course, me!" Brittany spat. "I may not know how to sword fight, but I can always use my bare fists."

"Brittany, you're new to Hyrule," Impa frowned. "Link is a seasoned warrior. It would take an equally skilled fighter to be of any use-"

"Hey, don't go giving up on me just yet! I'm a lot stronger and faster than I look," her hands went to her hips, leaving her elbows jutting out defensively. "I'm a fast learner and I don't give up easily. Besides," she looked over at the oracles, "I'm the only able-bodied person around here that knows about Farore's being an oracle. If something should happen to Link, there needs to be someone else to help her, or at least go for back-up."

The brunette gave a pleading stare towards Link. "I don't know...this could be awfully dangerous."

"Please, just give me a chance," Brittany begged. "I wouldn't even be here without Farore's prophecy! It would be better for me to be struck down by a moblin's spear than to be roadkill where I should be right now. C'mon...please?"

Link's eyes were still knitted in a thoughtful gaze. He rubbed his chin for a moment, then nodded his head and gave Brittany a smile.

"Alright...you've convinced me!" the hero grinned. "It'll be nice to have some company, anyway."

The King grunted. "I am sorry, Sir Link, but I must object."

"Your Highness, I know I am not as skilled as some of your knights, but I am quite capable of defending myself!"

"It is not that, Miss Brittany."

"Then, what is-"

"I must protest because you are a _girl_."

At this, Brittany felt her face grow hot with rage. "Now, hold on, just a darn minute!" she barked. "King or not, you have no right to go forbidding me from helping Farore merely because I'm a girl! Sure, I may not be one of your muscle-bound lackeys, but that doesn't mean I can't handle a monster as good as a guy can!"

"Brittany!" Impa gasped. "Don't be so rude to His Majesty!"

"I am afraid that we have a misunderstanding, my child," the King said. "I never meant to insult your skills. While Hyrule is one of the bests nations in the realm, I fear that such things still beget quite a bit of gossip amongst our aristocracy. I do apologize for it, but an unmarried youth and maiden venturing off together unchaperoned might do injustice to your and Sir Link's reputations. I would hate for you to despise Hyrule for something as childish as that."

"Then let me go with them, Father!"

Zelda's bold announcement quite shocked the inhabitants of the throne room. "My daughter, going out on such a perilous journey-"

"...Would aid me in becoming a better ruler, Father. You, yourself, fought amongst the ranks of your own guards before the crown passed to you, so why should it not be the same for me? Surely, you do not think that I value my own comfort over the life of one of my own subjects, my dear Father?"

"Not at all, my daughter!" stated the shocked King. "I only meant that-"

"That a girl is more fit for fancy gowns and grand galas?" she giggled. "Father, I am no longer a little girl."

"That is what worries me! You and Miss Brittany are enchanting and beautiful young women. There are brigands out there that would seek to do you harm because of your...um...appearances."

_'Beautiful'?_ Brittany said absentmindedly. _Maybe Zelda, but not me..._

"Father, need I remind you that Link is not the only one that has gotten stronger with age?" Zelda raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Not meaning any insult to your knights, but I am far better a markswoman with the bow than any man in your army. I quite outdid many of them in the archery tournament held upon my sixteenth birthday-or do you not remember, my Father?"

"Yes, Zelda, I DO remember. It's just..."

"Father...this is my last year as a child, and possibly the last as a maiden," the princess lulled. "You and I are both quite acquainted with the duty that lies before me. Once I reach my eighteenth birthday, my status will become a prize for my betrothed. Eventually, to prevent troubles arising between my future suitors, I will needs choose one to become my future husband. Please, Father," Zelda clasped her hands together, "give me this last bit of freedom as an unintended woman. Allow me to see the world while we seek out Farore as my wedding gift from you."

A hush fell upon the chamber. The King stood from his chair and, placing his hands behind his back, began to pace in concentration. Brittany looked over at the princess, who was leaned slightly forward-almost hanging on the silence as she awaited the King's decree. Even though both she and the monarch were raised in the strong, powerful fashion befitting their royal lineage, it was obvious that this argument was more than just a squabble between two dignitaries of the same family. No, this...this was a matter between parent and child as much, if not more, than anything.

Finally, after what seemed like hours (but, in reality, probably about ten minutes), the rotund aristocrat heaved a gruff sigh and stood erect. His hands still remained behind his back as he edged toward his daughter. Once he was no more than two feet from her, he looked down into the anxious eyes of Zelda.

"Zelda, I realize now that you are, indeed, no longer a child," spoke the King. "You have grown into a fine, strong young woman wise beyond her years. As one monarch to his heir, I see that you will one day be more than ready to take your birthright to the throne. But, as a father to his daughter," His Majesty placed his hand upon the maiden's head, "my heart is torn. While it, indeed, nearly bursts with parental pride at your willingness to accept your duty for such a small price, it also pains me to think that the child I once wrapped in swaddling clothes will soon fly from her father's arms to those of her husband."

Zelda smiled as her father spoke. "Father, I do not know how hard it must be to see your only child leave into the unknown, but you must understand that everything will be as it should in the end. I am just as vulnerable to the whims of fate here in the castle as I would be abroad."

"Zelda..."

That was all the King managed to choke out before his voice began to crack. Brittany thought she saw a single, solitary tear form in the corner of the patriarch's eye. His grizzled brow was still knitted in the same stoic, regal display, but even with a near half-century of maintaining that kingly mask, no amount of royal pride could hide the sadness that exuded from his heart.

"Your Majesty," Brittany piped up, "permit me to be so bold, but Zelda is right. If I had been meant to die in my old realm, I would not be standing here speaking with you. However, it was Farore's prophecy that snatched me from Death's icy grasp. If I had been meant to die, I would have already done so-regardless of whether I was in Hyrule or not. Would it not be better for Zelda to see the world before her time in it is completed (Lord forbid that be until she be an old woman herself!)?"

The King stared down at the young Empath, piercing her hazel eyes with furious intensity-almost trying to seek out the thoughts they lay behind them. She felt a grin tug at the edge of her lips-a reflex that occurred only when she was with her most nervous moments. After a few more moments under the King's frightful gaze, the lionlike scowl lifted and the monarch gave a sigh of agreement.

"Very well," he nodded his head and closed his eyes in concentration. "Zelda, you are free to accompany Link and Brittany on their journey." A cheerful gasp rang out from the whole of the group, but the King held up a hand. "However, I will only allow this if you submit to a bargain."

"What sort of bargain, Father?"

"For one," he began, "you will take as companion your nursemaid, Impa. She is stronger than most any fighter or guard in the surrounding lands, and will provide you extra protection. Do you agree to this, Impa?"

"Oh, yes, Your Majesty!" the portly woman curtsied.

"AND...while I temporarily relieve Link of his duties as a knight, I cannot relieve you of your birthright," the King boomed. "I am giving you leave of absence for _one year_, Zelda. One year to aid in Farore's rescue and travel to whatever lands you see fit. At the end of that year, however-whether Farore has been found or not-you must return and take your place as princess again."

"One year...?" Brittany repeated in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Thank you, Father!" Zelda dropped into a deep curtsy. "I will make preparations as soon as we are finished."

"'Finished'?" the King raised an eyebrow. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Nothing, Father!" Zelda smiled. "Come," she turned to Brittany, "let's go."

Before another word could be said, Zelda had grabbed the girl by the wrist and rushed out of the chamber, the other Hylians laughing as they gave chase. As the heavy doors thudded closed once more, the King tried to grasp the conversation that had just occurred. As the flood of information finally began to seep into his senses, he shook his head and smiled.

"That girl..." he chuckled. "She gets more and more like me every day."

With a hearty chortle, he pushed his way through the metal doors and stepped out into the hall. He was glad the princess had grown up and made such brave, caring friends. Deep down, he was glad Zelda was setting out on her own journey. At least that way, there was a better chance of his daughter and her childhood friend making a match. And if Zelda found a suitor from Hyrule, then he would not have to say farewell to his only child when she married some prince from a distant kingdom! How giddy the old monarch began to feel as his plan came together! Perhaps Fate had smiled on his elderly years after all...

As the King headed down the corridor, a goofy grin broke out on his gruff visage. A passing maid just came out from cleaning one of the rooms and saw the King, fully dressed in royal regalia, chuckling to himself and _skipping_ through the castle. That was one maid who swore off drinking from that day on.


	18. What's in a Game?

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

**"**_What's in a Game?_**"**

While the King was merrily bounding through one part of the castle, his daughter and her firends were winding their own path through the multitude of corridors in attempts to find the inner courtyard. After plodding through the seemingly endless hallways for who-knows-how-long, the princess rounded a corner and let out a shriek of delight.

"There it is!" Zelda exclaimed. "Just up this hall!"

"You said that _**three**_ hallways ago," whined Brittany.

"Chill, Brittany," Link said. "We'll get there soon enough."

For a seasoned warrior who could halfway fathom the gravity of why they were all headed to the Gate in the first place, Link seemed to be more excited than worried. Brittany could not help but notice the growing grin on his face as they walked. Not that she had any place in scolding him for it-she was just as eager as he to find the Picori, if not moreso. Her short stay in Hyrule had proven incredible enough, but the thought of meeting one of those imps...

"_Yeah, they say that only children can see the Picori."_

Suddenly, a cold chill rushed over her body as she remembered the first conversation she had held with the boy. What if she WAS too old? Even if Nayru did manage to reopen the Gate, there was a keen possibility that neither Link, Zelda, nor the Empath herself could see the Minish. And even if the Hylians miraculously still had the gift of Picori-sight, would she be left out? After all, she was not even from Hyrule. Not being able to detect the Minish could quickly turn into a huge hinderance in their quest. She'd forever have to pester her pals about the location of the imp so she did not accidentally squish it. And how were they even going to travel with one, anyway? Stick it in a bottle and cap a lid on it?

The overload of information made Brittany's head throb.

"Here we are! I told you it was just up this hallway!"

Brittany jerked herself out of her daze long enough to see Zelda motioning to a large archway in the middle of the corridor. The princess led her tiny entourage through the opening and into the tiny, lush garden. Brittany's sense of where she was came rushing back as the fragrence of the castle flora meet her nostrils.

"So now what?" she asked. The princess frowned and put a curled finger to her lips.

"I do not know...I was stone at the time," Zelda recalled.

"But I do!"

Before anyone could say a word, Link had already made his way down the pebbled path. He stopped just short of the edge of the path, right below where the Hylain Royal Family crest was etched into the wall above.

"So the Picori Gate is supposed to be somewhere around here, right?" Brittany spoke. Link nodded.

"Well, then!" Din clasped her hands together as Nayru and she stepped forward. "Let's see if we can't jumpstart this sucker by ninety-three years."

The oracle nodded to her blue-haired sister, who returned a small nod of her own. Nayru strode over and gently placed her right hand on the wall, her palm flat against the cold stones of the foundation. She did the same with her left hand, then carefully leaned in and touched her forehead to the slate-colored block. Taking a deep breath, the singer slowly closed her eyes and sighed.

"Here goes something," Din mumured under her breath.

Nayru stood with her head bowed against the stones for a few quiet moments. Soon, tiny hushings could be heard coming from the oracle-almost as quiet as a faint summer breeze. The greenery within the garden began to rustle as though stirred by wind. The oracle's chants grew louder as the shurbery increased their tremors. Brittany could feel the strain of the young woman's frustrted concentration penetrate the atmosphere, mingling with the anxious zeal of the younger Hylians and the maternal woory of Impa over Farore's fate. The unknown wind began to tug at the hem of the blunette's gown and lift the ends of the hair.

As her voice became of a louder pitch, the chanting began to merge into a melody. The mystreious wind picked up, rushing around the singer in a small gale. Blue light began to grow from beneath Nayru's palms and spread through a portion of the wall-causing the faint blue glow to outline an archway.

Brittany's eyes widened as she saw the magic of Nayru's time cotrol take effect. The block within the outline of the doorway began to fade in color. Lichens and vines quickly grew around the rim of the magical light, seperating the two pieces into their correspoding eras. The stones continued to glow slightly as they cracked with age, sending chips of the block crumbling to the floor. Mildrew began to fill in the crevices created by the missing chips until they crusted over onto the rest of the stone. Finally, when Nayru could hold it no longer, the energy began to fade and the chanting ceased. She lifted her head and palms as the remaining glimmer died away.

"Did it work?" Link asked, the hopeful tone lilting on the end of his words.

"I don't know," Nayru sighed, "but you are welcome to try."

Link gave a hopeful glance to each of his companions. Determined, he drew his sword in one hand and clasped the other around Zelda's. Zelda, in turn, took hold of Brittany's wrist-who slightly flinched at the physical contact with another being. She did not have time to dwell on this for long, though, because she soon found herself being pulled toward the wall.

Link stood rigid, the tip of his sword positioned not two inches from the block. "Okay...here we go..."

With everyone anxiously looking on, Link raised his arm high and brought it down in one swift movement. Time stood still as the blade whistled through the air. Brittany's eyes widened as it edged closer to the stones, and she could hear the collective gasp of her compainions as the metal raced down. Almost at an agonizingly slow pace, the sword struck down at the wall. Brittany clamped her eyes shut and waited for the clang of the blade against stone.

...But the recoil never came. Instead, she heard a slight cry of surprise from Link. Brittany's eyes shot open. The sword, Link's hand and half his wrist had disappeared into the block!

Link hurried through the opening, pulling the girls along with him. Brittany watched in horror as Link slammed himself into the wall, vanishing through the stones and taking Zelda and her with him! Once through, however, she felt Zelda release her wrist and a whoop of victory rang out from Link. The stones had magically reappeared right behind the girl. Instinctively, she rushed toward the rock in an attempt to leave, but was stopped as a head popped through the wall.

"What in the hell...?" blurted the Empath as the remaining members of the group stepped through the barrier. "How did..."

"It worked, Nayru! It actually WORKED!" sang Din.

"We're in the Sacred Realm, aren't we, Link?" Zelda chirped. "If the Sacred Realm is open again, that means the magical boundaries in Hyrule are weaker now, right?"

Nayru nodded. "Correct. Magical properties increase 100-fold while the Gate is open, and the normal barriers on most magic decreases the same amount. That's why the Minish magic can become powerful enough to affect the rest of the world on a grand scale-allowing even the weakest of their mages to transform into stronger forms within Hyrule."

Brittany, still in shock, began to babble. "Y-y-you mean we-we might really get...get to see...to see...see...?"

Zelda shook her head and Din let out a chuckle. Link took hold of Brittany's wrist once he sheathed his sword and pulled the young women along the steps of the shrine. As she walked, the shock started to relinquish its hold on the brunette. She saw the various statues built to honor the Four Sword and its Hero, giving her mind the push it needed to come back to reality. As they headed further into the mysterious shrine, Link led the group to the platform that housed the elements.

"Look, you guys," said the boy. "This is the Elemental Shrine. Here's where Ezlo and I reforged the Holy Sword! Look! Can you see it?" he raised Brittany's wrist and pointed. "Look, Brittany...those are the four elements that Zelda and I told you about."

The Empath stared in awe as her eyes fell upon the element to which Link had pointed. It floated just above the pedastal upon which it was perched and emitted some sort of strange, green glow. Her hazel orbs scanned the ornament. No...not an ornament at all. Upon a further inspection, the element seemed _alive_ somehow, as if its form was more of a gelly boundary for the power contained within it that a solid object.

"That one's green, so it's got to be the Earth Element," Zelda chimed in. "Right, Link?"

"No, it's actually-"

"...It's the Wind Element," Brittany murmured absentmindedly.

"Yes," spoke a confused Link, "that's right. How did you-"

"How did I know?" spoke the brunette. "The same way I knew about Vaati's being alive and parts of the town."

Link frowned and Zelda squeezed Link's hand tighter. "You know, you never DID explain how you found out about all of that, Brittany."

The young woman turned back to the others and smiled. "That's right-I forgot," she slapped her forehead in animated gesture. "You already know from Din and Nayru that I come from a different world, right?" The blonde Hylians nodded. "Well, according to them, scenes from one unvierse often traverse the others and get picked up by the minds of people in another. Apparently, scenes from your realm made it into the heads of some artists from mine, who then created a video game series out of it."

"Huh?" Link said.

"Uh...I guess you guys don't know what a 'video game' is, do you?" the Hylians-with the exception of the oracles-shook their heads. Brittany made a mental note to ask the sisters how much else they knew about Earth later on. "Well, think of a video game as a tiny world that you can control. Artists come up with a plotline, characters, weapons, and such and put them in a world they dream up-much like a book or comic drawing. They use special tools to make the characters move and interact with their surroundings-often through use of a controller (this little round thing with buttons on it that you hold in your hands). They create and play these games on flat square screens, which are about like mirrors that show the game world rather than your reflection. Often, the story line has to deall with a hero or heroine saving a magical world from evil. The world and people and everything is supposed to be made up..."

By now, the looks of growing confusion on Link and Zelda's faces was enough to make the brunette hush. "Um, so you're saying that there are people from your world controlling us?"

"No, that's not what I meant-"

"These artists can make us do anything? You mean, like," Zelda glanced over at Link, "they could make you fall in love with someone?"

"I _guess_ they could, but-"

"Hey, I don't want some crazy chick from your world setting me up with random people!" shouted Link.

Brittany felt sweat rolling down her temples. "Well, some games have pairings or imply them," she caught sight of Zelda's hopeful expression, "but that is mostly used in fanart, which isn't in the video games."

"I KNOW what fanart is!" Now it was Link's turn to sweatdrop. "Sheesh, you save Hyrule one time and you have a ton of girls drawing all sorts of stuff about you..."

"Okay, look," Brittany tugged her wrist away from Link's grasp. "Games are supplied by the _thousands_. No offense, but it would be impossible for just two people to make you do the same thing, let alone more than that. Besides, games are just a cross between what the artists want to see and what the fans may like. Just because someone controls a character in a video game does not mean that if that person was real in a nother universe some kid could make him do jumping jacks, alright? And the game worlds aren't even supposed to be _real_! The fact that yours was really knocked me for a loop."

The Hylians still looked puzzled, but Brittany just sighed and shook her head. "Look, even though the minds of people back in my old world may know ABOUT you, it doesn't mean they believe you exist. Just think of it as how some peolpe believe in Picori from this world while others think they're just a legend, okay?"

"So, I guess that would make you the Link of your world, huh?" Zelda giggled. "You know, since he wound up in the Picori world, and you wound up in what was supposed to be one of those video game thingies."

"Well, I guess you could look at it like that..." Brittany said. "But nevermind that! We have bigger fish to fry. If this Gate is open, then that means that we might have a chance at getting a Minish to help us! C'mon...the sooner we find our guide, the sooner we can rescue Farore."

"Right!" Link nodded. "But how do we find the Picori? I haven't seen one since I was a kid..."

"Din and Nayru can still see them!" Brittany retorted. "They saw them in the forest when they came to rescue me!"

"Then that's where we're headed...to Minish Woods."


	19. Beaten with a Schtick

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

**"**_Beaten with a Schtick_**"**

It didn't take the group long to reach their destination once they got started. By the time the late afternoon insects were buzzing in the trees, Brittany and the Hylians had made their way to the edge of Minish Woods. They headed down the long path to the glen where Malon and Talon first found the brunette.

"There's one rather powerful Minish sage that lives nearby," Nayru spoke up. "He was in charge of the other Minish that watched over you the night you first came to Hyrule, Brittany."

A sad smile tugged at the corner of her lips for a moment, then increased to a grimace of shock once she realized that she had been babysat by Minish. _Wait...I was babysat by MINISH? Oy, as if I didn't get teased for my height before, I had to have IMPS for guardians! _Brittany was still grateful, though. After all, who else had ever been personally taken care of by the Minish? Not many, she ventured a guess.

"So, where does he live?" Brittany asked.

"Hmm...oh!" Din pointed to a gnarled, nearly limbless tree at the center of the glen. "There's his house, now!"

The Empath sauntered off toward the tree. A few of its roots jutted out of the ground away from it and mingled with the rest of the meadow. Sparse clumps of green dotted areas around them where the nutrients had not been completely absorbed, and a few mushrooms littered the ground around it. A small stump stood not far from its base.

"Let's see if he's home, shall we?" beamed the oracle. She pointed to the bottom of the tree where a limb had been lopped off long ago. The sun shone brightly down on the area, revealing a sight Brittany had previously overlooked. There, past a tiny row of even tinier mushrooms were several small cuts along the trunk. Most were obviously windows, for there were miniscule sticks tied together to make a pane foundation for each one. One larger cut at the bottom looked like a door. Tiny growths in the bark-miniscule shutters, perhaps?-rested outside of each window, and a smattering of what must have been charcoal dust claimed both the growths and the door. Red clay dust had been smeared along the bark around the area-possibly used as paint for the exterior of the 'house'. Basically, it looked like a sprite-sized skyscraper.

Suddenly, Din curled her thumb and middle finger together and thumped the three right above the litte door. "Yo! It's Din! Wake up, Old Man-you've got company!"

Brittany gulped as she saw a tiny spark of green light flash in one of the lowere openings right before a poof of smoke started to curl out from it. A second later, she saw the tiny door open and a little black blob rush out. The barely over a centimeter-high creature held a stick in its hand and started flailing it like crazy. Smoke poured out of the doorway, and a tiny curl could be seen rising from the stick in the imp's hand.

"Oops," Din cringed. "I guess I interrupted his work."

At that, the little creature started bouncing up and down, waving both its arms and uttering furious squeaks. Nayru knelt down beside of her sister and bowed her head.

"Forgive us, Tiny Master," spoke the singer, "but we are in grave need of your help once more." The sprite stopped bouncing around and looked up at the blunette. It squeaked something to the young woman, who nodded. "If you would be so kind, would you allow us to come inside?" A surprised squeak rang out-probably about the height of the others.

"My friend, we reopened the Gate for that very purpose."

_Yep, I hit the nail on the head._

The imp looked over at everyone and pointed the stick towards Din. Nayru looked over at her sister and giggled. "He says you can't come in because you caused him to nearly blow himself up."

Din pouted. "Aww, c'mon! You know I didn't mean it!" She looked down at the little creature, who shook hie head. "Besides, Nayru-you probably don't want to be shrinking and unshriking that gown of yours. It might tear. We need you to move us."

"Move who?" said Impa. "Who are you talking to? I see no one!"

Link and Zelda shook their heads. Impa could not see the Minish, but they could. "Impa, she's talking to the Picori!" Link turned to Brittany. "Can you see him, Brittany?"

Brittany beamed a smile and nodded. "Yeah, but I think his little stick is on fire," she pointed to the twig in the imp's hand. Nayru quickly mentioned it to the Minish, who threw it down and started trying to stomp the flame out.

"That's great!" Din shouted, making the Minish hold his ears in pain. "Oops...sorry 'bout that." The Minish huffed and let out another squeak, then picked up his twig and walked back inside the tree. Din nodded, stood and then walked over to the stump.

"Now that the Gate is open," she said, stepping up on the stump, "these entrances will work again. I'll shrink you all down, and then I'll have Nayru carry you over to the door. But I can only do one at a time, so who's first?"

Link quickly volunteered. He stepped up on the stump with Din, who then clapsed both of his hands in hers. She closed her eyes and began to chant, causing the greenery to rustle around them like it did when she healed Brittany's knee. The wind swirled around them, carrying energy particles from the surrounding flora to aid in the shrinking process. Suddenly, the two Hylians were bathed in a white glow, and their bodies shrunk until they plummeted through a crack in the center of the stump. Brittany and Zelda freaked.

"Link! Link, Din-are you okay?" the two girls plopped down in the grass and a centimeter-and-a-half high Link and Din ambled out of an opening at the bottom of the stump. Link waved to the girls.

"They're alright," Nayru said, earning a sigh of relief from the two concerned maidens. Nayru extended a finger to Link, who latched onto it while Nayru toted him over to the treehouse. Meanwhile, Din walked back inside the stump. A burst of light beamed out from the crack as the growing Din leapt out of it. As she regained her full height, she did a flip off of the stump and landed in the grass as the light faded.

"Okay, who's next?"

The process repeated with Zelda, who Nayru immediately took over to the tree once she was shrunk. When it came the Empath's turn, she could feel the same healing warmth envelop her as it had when Din had healed her. The odd thing was that she never felt the shirking-she only noticed that the trees around her were getting bigger, and that a rush of dizziness swept over her. A sinking feeling rose from her stomach as she plummeted through the crack. She screamed as the mushroom 'cushions' came into sight, then squealed with glee as she and Din bounced onto each one of the soft, springy caps. By the time they hit the floor, Brittany wanted to go back to being tall just so she could bounce on the mushrooms again. Nayru, however, intervened by scooping up Din and the Empath and dropping them in front of the door.

"Impa and I shall wait for you out here," said the singer. "Be nice, Din!"

"Will do, sis!" Din said as she, the blonde Hylians and Brittany walked up to the house. As the door shut behind them, they were met by the same imp from earlier. His long beard nearly dragged the floor. The stick he held was actually a cane, upon the top of which was a bird's head carved into the wood. The old Minish looked at his new guests.

Before he could even utter half a squeak, Link had tackled the sage in a bear hug. "Ezlo, I thought I'd never see you again!" cried the boy. The Minish looked puzzled for a moment before a flash of revelation ran across his face. He began to squeak happily as he and Link chattered on, tears forming in the eyes of the two dear friends. Link eventually turned around and introduced Zelda, who caused another delighted chirp to come from the imp. Eventually, all of the chattering began to give Brittany a headache.

"You three can actually _**understand**_ him?"

Din, Ezlo, Link and Zelda all turned to face a very frustrated Earthling.

"Oh, that's right," Link recalled. "I guess you can't understand Minish yet."

Taking the hint, Ezlo pried himself from his companion's death grip and disappeared into another room for a few moments. The sage returned shortly, his fist enclosed around something. He walked over to Brittany and made a squeak. She looked up just in time to get whacked on the head by the Minish's staff.

"_**HELLFIRE!**_" screeched the maiden as both of her hands went to her noggin. "You old bird-brain! What the hell was that for-"

Brittany felt a strong hand take hold of her chin as the fingers of another were shoved into her open mouth. When she tried to bite down on the invading digits, the Minish let go of what he had held in his hand, causing her to chomp into the wrong object. A sweet, almost meaty taste crossed between honey and cashews filled her mouth. She swallowed whatever the object was and pulled Ezlo's hand off of her face.

"You jerk! I outta..."

"You ought to what?"

"I outta choke you with your own beard, then set fire to it and leave you to the crows, that's what!" shouted Brittany. "You rotten, evil, good-for-nothing, old..."

The sage smirked as the realization set in on Brittany's face.

"Wait a minute! I can undersatnd you!"

"Looks like this 'good-for-nothing' was good enough at making you understand Minish," Ezlo said, right as he cracked the cane down on top of Brittany's skull again.

"Stop that!"

"EZLO! What's going on?"

The group looked up in surprise as an unknown voice called out. Brittany looked up to see several floors above spiraling upward-much like the library at Hyrule Castle. The only difference was that there were doors instead of books. A flurry of purple and indigo darted down several flights of the stairs overhead. As the shadow reached the third floor, Ezlo let out a huff.

"About time that boy showed up!" spat the gruff Minish.

"Master Ezlo, are you oka-_**Wah!**_"

The moment the figure reached the top of the final set of stairs, he miscalculated a step and came crashing down the whole flight (and trust me-it ain't easy to fall down a circular staircase). Ezlo shook his head and sighed. The boy slammed face-first onto the floor as he tumbled off the last few steps. Before she even realized what she was doing, Brittany had darted across the room to make sure the Minish was okay (for that's what she could see he was once he stopped moving so fast).

"Hey, are you okay?" sputtered the Empath as she helped the Picori stand.

"Ow, my nose..." whined the indigo-clad imp as he held a hand over his face. "HEY!"

_Crack!_ Down came the wrath that was Ezlo's staff, only it was aimed at the boy this time. The Minish's free hand immediately shot up to his noggin.

"Hey, that's not fair!" growled Brittany. "He could have been seriously hurt-ack!"

Brittany got another whack on her head. "THAT'S for being impudent," Ezlo said to the fuming girl. "And yours was for sneaking out again without finishing your chores!"

"Sheesh, Ezlo, can't you cut me some slack? I mean, damn, it's the Picori Festival! And besides, you're not gonna believe what happened..."

Brittany sighed. "Lemme guess: a blue bear showed up and people freaked out?"

"A big blue bear-wait..." the Minish looked up at Brittany. "How did you know?"

"That's why our guests are here, you fool!" Ezlo stamped his foot and brought the cane back down. However, this time, Brittany caught it before it could smack the smaller Minish.

"Will you knock that off?" yelled the girl. Ezlo grunted and yanked the staff out of her hand, then proceeded to give both Brittany, the Picori youth, Din _**AND**_ Link bonks on the noggin.

"That's for being stupid!"

_Pow!_

"That's for being rude!"

_Crack!_

"That's for trying to blow me up!"

_Pow!_

"But what the hell did _**I**_ do, Ezlo?" Link barked.

"You? What did YOU do?" the elder shouted menacingly. "You associate yourself with these nimrods, THAT'S what!"

"But then why didn't Zelda get hit?" Din whined.

"She's a princess," Ezlo said, "and probably got roped into your little band of freaks against her will. Now, if you will excuse me," he bowed to Zelda, "I am going to go try to salvage what is left of my workshop that Twinkle Toes here almost demolished with her wretched thumping!" The elder gave another blow to Din before he angrily stomped off to another part of the house, leaving the Picori and most of his guests with more pop-knots than they had ever had in their lives.

"Geez, Link," Brittany spat, still rubbing the multiple bumps on her head, "how you managed to go all that time with that jerk on your head without setting him on fire, I'll never know."

"Eh, he was a pretty decent parachute once," the hero grinned. "You wouldn't believe how high-pitched he can scream!"

Suddenly, Ezlo's cane came spinning through the air and slammed right into the back of Link's head, knocking him to the floor. "And tell that lack-wit boy in there to go fix the princess some tea! I won't tolerate any rudeness in this house!"

"Ouch..." Brittany said. "That's gonna leave a mark..."

"Ur..." the new Picori glanced over at the room that Ezlo had gone into and gulped. "Why don't I go make us some tea?"

"I'll come with you!" Brittany cried out. She certainly didn't want to stay and risk being the brunt of another of Ezlo's tantrums. The two of them bolted out of the foyer and into the adjoining room, leaving the other girls and Link alone to wait for them. The duo walked over and helped Link stagger over to sit at the bottom of the stairs. Once he had sat down, she stood and looked toward the kitchen.

"Was that who I think it was?" Zelda asked, supporting a groggy Link so he would not fall off the step.

"Who, that Minish?" Din thumbed toward the door. "Kinda hard to believe he tried to take over Hyrule a few years back, isn't it? Though, with a master like Ezlo, I can't say as I'd blame him for wanting to get outta here..."

"He's changed since I last saw him."

"Well, everyone gets older, Zelda. Even Minish."

"I know that. It's just..." she glanced over toward the room where Brittany and the imp had disappeared through. "It's a bit odd seeing him after all of these years."

"I'm sure Link will say the same thing once he comes to." This made Zelda laugh. "You know, he's not such a bad guy now. He did a 180 on his personality after he was defeated."

"Really? How would you know that?"

"Elzo told me. And," she smiled serenely, "he was the only Minish that stayed up all night to watch over Brittany when we had to leave her in the forest. He didn't let anything happen to her."

Zelda smiled serenely. "Huh...I guess all Vaati needed was a second chance."

Din nodded and the two of them waited for Link to come to or the tea to be ready, whichever came first.


	20. Call Me Vaati

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

**"**_Call Me Vaati_**"**

While the Hylians waited out in the foyer, Brittany and the Minish darted into the kitchen to get as far away from Ezlo as possible...ur...I mean, to make tea.

It was hard for Brittany to describe what was going through her mind as she followed the indigo-clothed Minish through the tree house. She made a vain attempt to make note of where she was going as she and the imp darted through the house. They passed through what must have been Ezlo's shop, because she barely managed to catch a glimpse of the bottles of Picolyte and other curious objects strewn along the shelves that lined the wall. Her companion pushed through a curtain of beads and grass string that covered the doorway to the adjacent room, and the Empath hurried along behind him.

As the beads rattled behind her, she halted. Two ceiling-length pantry cupboards stood on each side of the door. A couple of cabinets conjoined to the pantries hovered above the entrance, and shelves ran the length of the rest of the wall. The fading sunlight lit up the curtains over the window on the wall facing the front of the house. Cabinets stretched along the bottom half of the wall and along the top away from the window. She turned to see that part of the wall adjacent to the windowed one (which was empty save for a wood-burning stove and black stovepipe) jutted out into the room, where it halted and left area for the dining area. A hutch of woven straw was situated at the end of the L-shaped room, and a dining table and chairs sat in the middle of the longer half. Upon further inspection, she was amazed to find that nearly all of the furniture was carved directly out of the tree itself! As she stood admiring the way the sunlight illuminated the golden-colored wood grain that swirled over the walls, she could not help but think of the place as one of the most cozy rooms she had ever been in.

"Where is that pot?"

Brittany was jerked out of her reverie by the slamming of cabinet doors. The imp was hurriedly scanning through each one, his head bobbing up in down in search of something. Finally, he let out an 'aha!' and pulled down a tiny lidded pot, which had been painted a brilliant white and had thick red stripes swirling up around it. He sat the pot down on the counter and threw open the stove door. He pulled back his sleeve and, holding his hand out in claw like fashion, mumbled a few words. Brittany was about to ask what he was doing when a burst of flame materialized from his palm and shot into the stove-lighting the twigs inside ablaze.

The Minish shut the door and nabbed a nearby kettle. Brittany watched the purple-clad fellow head over to an indention carved into the countertop. A tiny mussel shell had been substituted for a sink, and a teeny faucet made from what possibly could have been part of a hollowed-out nail curled out from the back of it. A pale hand turned the knob-which was also made from shell-at the back of the sink, sending a small deluge of water into the awaiting kettle. He darted back over to the stove, sat the kettle down, then scurried over to the hutch to nab some saucers and cups. The dishes were loaded onto a decorative wooden plate and left on the table. For the next few minutes, the mysterious imp spent his time rummaging through drawers and adding various objects to the tray. Finally, the kettle began to whistle, sending him rushing in a mad dive toward the stove. As he pulled the kettle off the stove, however, a splash of water escaped from the pot and scalded his free hand. Yelping, he dropped the kettle-which spewed the boiling liquid all over the floor and stove. The hot metal let out a sizzle.

"Dammit!" squeaked the Minish, clutching the injured hand to his chest.

"Are you alright?" Brittany raced forward. The mousy fellow nodded and looked down at the floor.

"What a mess!" he hissed. "And I'm going to have to boil some water all over again..."

Brittany looked at the Minish with a raised brow. "You'd think you'd be more worried about your hand!" Still scanning the watery mess, the imp shook his head. "Here, let me see it."

"No, i-it's fine."

"Lemme see it, already!" barked the girl. "We can do this the hard way or the easy way. _Either_ way, I'm gonna examine that wrist." The Mininsh finally consented and Brittany led him over to a chair. Pulling the violet sleeve away from the damaged area, she saw the harsh pink of the burn contrast with his ghostly pale flesh. "Where's some ointment and bandages?"

The Minish pointed to one of the drawers near the sink. Brittany walked over and checked through a few, then came back with a roll of cloth and a vial of greenish gel. She unscrewed the cap of the vial and held it between her thumb and forefinger as she laid his wrist across the remaining fingers of her hand. Dipping a digit into the strange gel, she felt a tingling chill immediately run up the length of her finger. She slathered the ointment onto her companion's injury, placed the cap back on the vial and took up the roll of cloth. She quickly wound a small length of the bandage around his hand before tearing it off from the rest and tying the ends together.

"There now..." Brittany cooed as she sat down the roll. "All finished! That wasn't too bad, now, was it?"

The Picori just turned his wrist back and forth, as if examining it to see if Brittany had done more damage to the burn. When he realized she had only helped, he looked quite shocked.

"Th-thank you..."

Brittany beamed. "Hey, no problem! Now, just tell me where a mop and bucket is, and I'll fix this little mess up."

"There's no need," the Minish rose from his seat and strode over to the stove. He waved his hand in a circular motion over the spilled liquid. The water curled up from the floor in a thin stream until an enormous, watery bubble formed in mid-air below his fingertips. He slowly inched his way over to the sink, his fingers still twirling above the massive shape, until all of the water on the floor's surface had followed him. Then, whipping his fingers in an arc toward the sink, all of the water twirled in a big loop and shot down the drain. The imp gave a smirk and, turning back around to the wet and swollen wood, he shot a blast of air from his palm until the floor was dried.

"_**AWESOME!**_" cheered the maiden, causing the Minish to whip his head up in alarm. "I've never seen anyone do magic like that before! You're a mage, aren't you?"

The boy nodded.

"Say, I forgot to introduce myself!" the brunette walked over and extended her hand. "Th' name's Brittany! What's yours?" The Minish stared at her hand for a moment and raised an eyebrow. He wrinkled his nose, as if puzzled by the gesture. "It's a hand," she mused. "You're supposed to shake it."

"Why?"

This time Brittany raised an eyebrow. He was genuinely confused! "People shake hands when they introduce themselves-at least, the folks where I come from do. It's a symbol of friendship."

"Friend...ship...?" He muttered almost absentmindedly to himself.

"Yeah, friendship," Brittany slowly sounded the latter word out. "I'd like to be your friend. That is, if you wanna be mine."

"I don't think you want to do that."

"Huh?" Now it was Brittany's turn to be confused. "Why not?"

His pale head shot up and he met her gaze. Brittany let a small gasp escape her throat. Staring back at her from beneath the two lavender wisps of the imp's eyebrows were two blazing ruby eyes.

_It can't be...omigosh, is this who I think it IS?_ screamed the Empath's mind.

"Because I was the demon that tried to kill your friends Link and Zelda to gain power," he spoke flatly. "I am called Vaati."


	21. Tea for

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

**"**_Tea for Two Times Two Plus Two"_

_Oh, SNAP! You mean I've been standing in here with VAATI the WHOLE FREAKING TIME?_

Brittany's mind nearly threw a fit. Her favorite villain and possibly the most adorable character in the whole _Legend of Zelda_ series was standing right in front of her! Having a face-to-face chat with her! And she had just bandaged his hand, too! It took all she could to keep from squealing like a fangirl and glomping the Minish right then and there. Fortunately, she staved the urge at the thought of giving the little imp a heart attack-heck, it took her several days just to explain to Zelda and Link how she knew about Hyrule! If she just randomly hugged Vaati after he had announced his identity like that, he'd probably think she was looking for some place to stick a knife! After all, had he not tried to take over the world once? If the rest of Hyrule knew he was still alive, they'd send a whole army of bounty hunters after him!

"Hello? Are you still in there?"

Brittany was shocked out of her reverie by a squeaky but worried voice. The grimace of concern on Vaati's face made her realize that she had been staring again. And unfortunately, the Picori had mistaken her thoughtful daze for a look of horror.

_Great..._she thought. _He __**probably**_ _thinks I hate him! Bad Brittany...spacing out like that!_

"Hyrule to Brittany!" Vaati waved his uninjured hand in front of her eyes.

_Say SOMETHING! _

"Y...you're Vaati...?" the girl blurted out, her body still trembling from the revelation. The mage frowned and stepped back.

_Oh, no-oh, NO! Look what you did-you scared him! See, he __**really**__ thinks you hate him, now!_

"So..." the Minish mage started. "I see my reputation precedes me. They must still hate me, the Hylians. I suppose Link and Zelda have told you about all of the horrible stuff I did?"

"Yes! Um, I mean no...well, sorta..."

"Which is it?" the mage narrowed his brow. "Yes or no?"

"Actually," Brittany scratched the back of her head nervously (she only itched when she was _extremely_ nervous. Like, around her mother before the woman tried to run her over, nervous), "Link and Zelda did tell me what happened, but they also said they harbor no hard feelings toward you. Neither does the King."

"Really?" Vaati raised a brow. "Not even after I possessed him and tried to kill his only child?"

"Actually, from what he's said, he thinks it was kind of amusing that someone would want to switch bodies with him. And no harm to Zelda meant no foul. After all, what damage you DID do healed up pretty fast after Link defeated you."

At that, a deep frown crossed the sprite's lips and he lowered his head. A pang ran through Brittany's ribs-she could sense the sadness he was feeling.

"H-Hey! I didn't mean to upset you," a soft murmur came from the boy. "Come again? I'm sorry, but I didn't hear-"

"They...they really forgave me?"

Brittany looked put her hands on her hips. "_**That's**_ what you were worried about?" the Minish made no attempt to nod or give an answer in any way. "Well, I think a lot of the people remember the fear you caused, but Link and Zelda forgave you. They really did! Honestly, when I found out about you being alive, I thought they were going to kill me to keep it a secret!"

"What, to hide the fact that Link was too merciful to finish the job?" Vaati pouted.

"No, you dummy!" Brittany shouted, gesturing wildly with her arms. "They were worried that someone might find out and go after you or the other Minish if word got out. Besides," the Empath smiled at him, "you changed after that day, didn't you? Back then may have been a different story, but you don't seem like some evil, bloodthirsty monster now. A monster wouldn't half break his neck running down several flights of steps to make sure his elderly master was alright."

"Ezlo can more than take care of himself," Vaati grunted, rubbing at the bumps Ezlo left on his noggin. "Besides, I'm used to him yelling for me to come do this chore or take care of that customer...it was just instinct."

Brittany scoffed and folded her arms. "Uh-huh. Yeah," she nodded, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "Sure. I'm positive that you would run at break-neck speed just to go wash his dirty underwear...Ha! I see a smirk!"

It was true-Vaati was sort of half-smiling. Brittany felt the extreme sorrow start to ease from it. She decided to play on that bit of humor for a moment.

"What, he's made you do his laundry before?"

Vaati blew his bangs away from his eyes. "Every load."

"Ewww...dirty old sage underwear...no WONDER you turned him into a hat! At least then, you could just run him through the wringer and be done with it."

Vaati stopped smirking and dropped his head. He started shaking all over. Brittany thought she may have hurt his feelings again, but the pang of guilt emanating from him drastically faded as the Minish let out a series of high-pitched, half-wheezed squeaks. For a moment, she thought he was going into a seizure and was about to run for help when he wrapped his arms around his sides and turned away.

"Hey, are you al-" she clapped a hand on his shoulder, causing him to look her way long enough for her to catch the expression on his face.

_Well, I'll be darned...I actually got him to laugh!_ came the mental cheer.

"Oh, you think that's funny, do ya'?" she mock-scolded the mage. "Yeah, well, what if I said you SMELL like his dirty laundry? Do you think that's funny, too? Huh? Do ya'?"

By now, Vaati had sunk to the floor and was giggling like crazy. And that got Brittany laughing, too. How could she not? But a few years ago, Vaati was the most feared villain in all of Hyrule. Now, here he was, rolling on the floor.._giggling_. _**Giggling**_, of all things! Weren't bad guys supposed to have some deep, baritone, maniacal chuckle? Vaati sounded more like a schoolgirl who sucked the helium out of a balloon than a demented psychopath.

When he finally managed to catch his breath, Vaati had to wipe a tear from his eye from giggling so hard. Brittany helped him to his feet and helped him finish getting everything ready for the tea. While a fresh kettle heated on the stove, they sat in the kitchen chatting away about Ezlo and some of the elder's more annoying habits. They must have taken too long, because by the time Ezlo came back into the foyer to find a now semi-conscious Link, the tea was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, that fool! What is he doing taking so long?" the sage angrily stamped the end of his cane on the floor, causing enough noise to jar Link awake.

"Huh? Whu' did I miss?" snapped a groggy Link. Ezlo ignored him.

"I'm going to find out what is taking so blasted long," fumed the sage, and off he stomped after the missing mage. Link, still halfway supported by Zelda, and the other Hylians followed. As they neared the beaded curtain, however, they heard a familiar shriek of laughter.

"Oh...my...gosh..._**he really did that?**_"

"I kid you not, he actually thought a box of powdered soap was some dehydrated potato flakes," came a slightly unfamiliar voice. "He was sick for a week! I tried to warn him, but hey...that's what you get when you don't listen to someone simply because you're too pig-headed to care."

"Too 'pig-headed', am I?" shouted Ezlo as he marched into the kitchen. A painful yelp sounded out and half-hissed curses poured through the beaded curtain. The Hylians rushed in to find Vaati, once again, rubbing a fresh bump on his head and Brittany glaring daggers at his elderly attacker.

"Ezlo, please," Zelda softly spoke, "calm down. I am sure that Vaati only meant the remark out of jest."

"Ah! Now the princess would turn on a weak, defenseless old Minish?" Ezlo feigned horror. "What has hanging around these brutish hooligans done to your regal manners...?"

A double snicker came from the table, but by the time Ezlo whipped around the duo was silent once more. They grinned to one another the moment he turned away. Zelda noticed a smile curve onto Din's lips as they watched the scene. _It seems that she was right after all_, thought the blonde royal. Vaati had changed for the better. At least, now he was laughing from the company of another and not at a plot to take over Hyrule.

The kettle began to whistle. "I'll get it," Brittany motioned to get up, but Vaati stopped her.

"No, you are a guest," the lavender-haired Minish proclaimed. "I will get it."

"Nonsense! I have two perfectly good legs and I intend to make as much use of them as I wish. Besides," the young woman half-laughed, "you might injure your other hand this time."

Vaati gave her a quizzical glance as she pushed her chair out and went to fetch the kettle. He followed in order to freeze the fire out so the sparks would not slip out while they were unawares and burn down the treehouse. They returned to the table and the mage passed out the dishes while Brittany divvied up the silverware. After a small portion of tea leaves were placed into each cup and the steaming water poured over top, the small group took its collective seat at the table.

Ezlo took a long sip of his tea. The others tentatively toyed with their cups until Vaati noticed their discomfort.

"Go ahead," he spoke to Brittany. "Drink. It's not bad, I swear. See?" He took a sip from his own steaming cup. The others followed suit.

"Hmm...not bad," said the Empath. The tangy taste of the leaves flooded her mouth. "What is it?"

"Dried red raspberry leaves," the imp replied. "It's supposed to help with headaches."

"Could use a little honey, though...Oh!" a jar clasped in a pale hand pushed a jar over to her. "Hey, thanks!"

Brittany proceeded to dig out four spoonfuls of the golden liquid and drizzle it into her cup (she probably would have drained half the jar, but she was a guest and decided to be nice and share with the others...and try not to risk another beating from Ezlo on the grounds that she was being 'rude' again). After she had taken a few more sips from her mug, she heard the aforementioned sage clear his throat.

"Now, then, Din," questioned the wizened imp, "I am certain that your sister did not reopen the Gate merely for you and your friends to come have tea with us."

Din sat down her mug and stared into the leaves. She closed her eyes and sighed. "Ezlo..." she began, "...Someone kidnapped Farore."

Ezlo accidentally sucked his tea down the wrong way and spewed it all over the table in attempt to cough it up. Vaati nearly dropped his mug in shock. Zelda quickly handed the sage a napkin as Link slapped the elder Minish on the back to help dislodge the tea from his lungs.

"Forgive me, princess," wheezed the sage as he took the napkin from her. "Thank you." It was a few moments before he could speak again. When he had finally managed to hack out what part of the tea he breathed into his windpipe, he gave another harsh cough into his fist. He looked over at Din. "Are you sure she was kidnapped? I thought she was to follow the troupe through to Labrynna and back!"

"She _**was**_," the dancer stared at him, the tension rising in her voice. Goose pimples prickled Brittany's arms as her pal's frustration began to peak.

"Then how...?"

"Moosh said they cut off the trail and that she was kidnapped by cloaked horsemen," Zelda intervened.

"Ezlo...one of them was a magic-user," remarked Din. The sage narrowed his brow on her.

"A magic-user? Are you sure?"

"Moosh said when he went after Farore, one of the riders turned and fired a beam at him that knocked him out for nearly half a day."

Ezlo's face contorted into a grim expression. He sat down his cup, crossed his rodent-like hands beneath his nose and leaned his head against them. His eyes closed in concentration.

"I see..." there was a hint of finality in his voice. "I suppose I need not question you on the brevity of this dilemma. After you told me of her latest vision, this makes the situation all the more serious-especially considering that even Farore herself does not know the extent of her powers."

There was a series of nods from each of the three Hylians. Brittany stared over the rim of her cup at the scene of intense anxiety. She shot a glance to her right where sat a strangely quiet Vaati. He was possibly more pale than he was normally. Apparently, both the Minish had some sort of insight into the missing oracle's gifts.

"What I do not understand is why you have sought me out to inform me of this problem," spoke the sage. "Do you perhaps have a clue as to whom the kidnappers may be?"

Din sadly shook her head. "All that is known is that each of the riders were fully clothed in long, violet cloaks and that their horses were much different than those of our allied lands. Also, one of the horses had the symbol of 'two curved tadpoles' on its forehead."

"'Curved tadpoles', did you say? Hmm..." the aged Picori stroked his beard. "I dare say it may take me a while, but I may be able to be of service. However," he gave a quick glance toward the window, which was now becoming more and more devoid of sunlight, "I suggest that you send your sister and the large woman back home for the night. My research may trail on for quite some time, and I daresay the forest gets rather dangerous as the night wears on."

Din nodded to the imp.

"Of course," he began again, "you are all invited to spend the night."

Now, it was Vaati's turn to get chocked. His eyes bugged out mid-swallow and a small gurgle could be heard coming from his seat. He half-spat, half-coughed the tea back into his cup.

"Hey, are you okay?" the brunette asked, proffering her napkin to the strangling sprite as she clapped him on the back. The mage looked up at her in surprise. Brittany noticed that he wore that same odd expression on his face that he did when she bandaged his hand. She couldn't make out what it was, but there was some sort of weird, awkward tension in the air between them. He noticed the hand that now rested on his shoulder. Brittany quickly withdrew the offending hand, thinking that maybe Vaati was just as edgy about physical contact as she was. Instead, she took hold of the other corner of the napkin and shoved it toward him with both hands.

Vaati let out a squeak of thanks and turned away from her. She promptly did the same, and scooted away from him a bit. Thankfully, the whole situation happened so fast that no one seemed to really notice anything except Vaati swallowing his tea the wrong way. She supposed nearly choking on his tea the way his master had done had really embarrassed the imp, so she remained facing away from him for the time being.

"Vaati, stop trying to inhale your tea," scolded the sage. "After we're finished here, I want you to finish up those chores of yours that you skipped out on today. When you are finished with that, you shall join us in the library."

"Yes, Ezlo," mumbled Vaati as the elder Minish stood up from the table. The Hylians followed suit and headed toward the door. Zelda turned to look at Brittany, who remained seated at the table.

"Aren't you coming, Brittany?"

"In a little bit," waved the brunette. "I wanna finish my tea first."

Zelda glanced down at the Empath's cup-her _empty_ cup. The girl sat the mug down and discreetly covered the top with her fingers. The princess gave her a strange look. Din saw the expression on the blonde's face and an airy smirk on Brittany's lips. The round-eared girl gracefully lifted just enough fingers off of the rim for Din to peer inside. Cocking her head to one side, the dancer glanced over at Vaati and then back to Brittany.

"Ah...That's some good tea, huh?" she asked. Of course, arms akimbo and a knowing smirk told Brittany that the dancer's words had nothing to do with the drink. Din's stance conveyed the message far better than her words could.

All the girl could do was lace her fingers across the top of the mug and grin back.


	22. Chores and Charms

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

_Chores and Charms_

Din poked Zelda in the shoulder. "C'mon, Princess," she trilled, "let's give our friend time to _finish her drink_." She slowly spoke the last three words, adding painful emphasis to each one. Fortunately, the boys were none the wiser and, with a peep of protest from Zelda and a wink from the oracle, Din grabbed Zelda's wrist and practically dragged the baffled princess out of the room.

"Suit yourself," huffed Ezlo. "When you're done, just have Vaati to show you where we are."

The girl nodded and watched Ezlo and Link disappear through the beaded curtain, leaving her alone in the kitchen with a silent Vaati. She could still feel the embarrassment radiating off of the poor fellow. After listening for her companions' footsteps to fade, she decided to try and calm the Minish down.

She closed her eyes and smiled. "Don't be so worried," she said to the sprite.

"Eh?" came the startled reply.

"About the tea..." the girl reminded him. "I've done stuff like that before, too, so there is no need to get so worked up about it. If you were afraid of making a fool of yourself in front of Din or the princess," she opened one eye, "you needn't have worried. No one's gonna judge ya' for sucking your tea down the wrong pipe, if you get what I'm saying."

Brittany glanced over at Vaati, who now had a tiny smirk forming on his lips.

"Now _that's_ what I like to see!" she boomed, nearly causing the imp to fall out of his chair. She gave a gentle laugh and stood up. "You don't need to be put on occasion for us, man. Seriously, you should show that smile of yours every once in a while-it really brightens up the place."

Vaati, once again, looked like someone had stuck a cattle prod to him. He just sat on the floor with the same perplexed expression as he had several times earlier. Brittany climbed over into the now Minish-free seat. Grinning, she leaned over him, crouched in the chair with her hands by her feet like a cat cornering its prey.

"Man, you look like someone going under the executioner's axe!" she burst out laughing. "Lighten UP, Vaati! Geez, you'd think you'd relax a little since Ezlo left."

Brittany plopped down in the chair and crossed her arms over her knees. She stared up at the ceiling and noticed that there was a tiny lamp dangling down from it. It was getting very dark in the kitchen now that the sun was gone-so much so that she would not have been able to see at all had there not been light coming from beyond the beaded curtain.

"Hey, how do you turn that thing on?" the brunette pointed to the lamp.

"Oh, the lamp?" Vaati scrambled to his feet and smoothed the wrinkles from his robe. He pulled another chair from the table and hopped up in it. Grasping the lamp in one hand, he flicked open the latch on the glass with his thumb and brought the other hand to the opening. Holding two fingers erect, he blew out a tiny puff of air and a spark fell onto the candle inside. Light filled the room. The Minish quickly shut the door and replaced the latch, then hopped down off of the chair.

"Much better," sighed a content Brittany. The imp pushed his chair back in as she stood from hers. Instead of turning back towards her, he averted his gaze and nervously fiddled with a lock of his lavender hair.

"You should finish your tea before it gets cold," he said.

"Not a problem!" Brittany hooked her pinky around the empty cup and let it dangle from her finger. Vaati raised an eyebrow.

"You lied to your friends?" he scoffed.

"I didn't lie!"

"Yes, you did," he chided her. "You said you wanted to stay and finish your tea when you were already finished with it."

Brittany smirked. "Nuh-uh. There's still a drop left in there, see?" she pointed to a lonely drop that had collected at the bottom of the glass with her tea leaves. She lifted the cup and let the final drop run into her mouth. "There! All finished!"

Vaati put one hand on his hip and propped the other one up on the top of the chair. "Very well, then-you _bent_ the truth."

"Bending the truth isn't the same as lying, kiddo," grinned the girl. "I told them the truth. And did I not drink the very last drop of my tea? Hmm?"

Vaati smirked. "You remind me of someone else I know..."

"Really?" Brittany raised an eyebrow. The Minish's face softened. "Who? Someone good, I hope."

"Myself," he giggled. "You aren't the only one that has ever wanted to get out of an impending Ezlo lecture, you know." Brittany chuckled lightly at the joke.

_Actually, I just wanted to talk to you some more before I have to leave..._smiled the Empath to herself.

"Yeah, when he gets going, he doesn't seem to know when to stop, does he?"

"Nope!"

The two of them let out another round of giggles before they got to work clearing the table. After dumping all of the dishes in the sink, Vaati turned the knob beside the faucet to let the water run.

"You know," Brittany recalled, "this is one of the only times since I have been here that I have seen a sink where you could twist a knob and have water come out. Most of the houses in Hyrule have those big, awkward hand pumps. Even the tub at Lon Lon Ranch has to be pumped before the water is heated!" she watched the imp cork a stopper in the drain to prevent the water from escaping the basin. "The only other time I've seen one like this has been the kitchen and bathrooms in the castle."

Vaati just smirked. "Well, when I was a child, I would sneak into Hyrule Castle to explore," he said as he poured in a small amount of liquid soap from a bottle that had been resting in the windowsill. "It was a good place to hide from Ezlo. I down-sized a few of its trademarks to accommodate this place when we moved in."

"When you _were_ a child?" Brittany mused. "Just how old ARE you, anyway?"

The imp shook his head. "I don't really know, since Ezlo took me in as a small child. According to him and all of his medical tests," Vaati cringed, "I suppose I am in my late teens. Around eighteen, most likely." Brittany giggled. "What's so funny?"

"I'm older than you," she smiled to herself. "I'm nineteen."

"Yeah, so?"

"It's just funny, is all."

"Why is that funny?"

"It just is."

"Is not."

"Is, too."

"Is not."

Brittany laughed. Vaati scowled at her. "I think Ezlo rubbed off on you-you're too quick to argue."

The Minish huffed. "I am _**not**_ too quick to argue!"

"Yes, you are," grinned the Empath.

"No, I'm not-"

"See?" she interrupted him. "You're doing it, again."

Vaati let out a 'humph' and turned back to the sink. He rolled up his long robe sleeves and stretched his hands out over the water. He muttered a quick spell and sparks shot from his fingertips. Moments later, she could see tiny red flames emerge from beneath his palms. The water soon heated to the point of steaming, and he ended the spell by dousing his hands under the water.

Without realizing it, Brittany had been staring with her mouth agape. "That's gotta be the coolest thing I have ever seen," she blurted out. The mage frowned and stared at the water.

"Ezlo's is much better," he sighed. "Ever since I first became his apprentice, I wanted to be a great sage like him. No matter how hard I tried, though, I never seemed to be good enough. Anytime I would halfway manage a spell, he'd just whack me on the head with his staff and berate my effort."

"That stick of his IS pretty lethal," Brittany said, rubbing at the bump the old Picori left on her noggin.

Vaati gave a small grunt in agreement. "As I got older, I became so obsessed with his rants that I went from wanting his approval to needing to surpass him. Pass me a cloth," he pointed to the drawer in front of Brittany. She dug out a couple of rags and handed one to him. "Thank you. Where was I?"

"You wanted to surpass your teacher."

"Yes," Vaati turned off the tap at the back of the sink. "I saw how respected he was, and I wanted to be like that. I was kind of an outcast when I was a kid because of the way I look."

_Boy, don't I know what that feels like_, Brittany recalled memories of her home life.

"Anyway, that's when I stole the cap he made for the humans. I just...I just let the bitterness in me take over..." The Picori was staring down into the shell again, watching the soap suds swirl along the surface of the water. He sighed. Brittany could sense the grief he felt over his actions-she did not need to be an Empath to see the sorrowful look on his face.

"But when Link defeated you, everything went back to normal, right?" the brunette chimed. "I mean, sure, you might have freaked a few people out and some octoroks may have ruined someone's garden, but Zelda helped restore everything to the way it was before you went bonkers!"

Her companion let out a chuckle. "You know, girl...you have an odd way of putting things."

"Well, at least it kept you from going all emo on me again," she smirked.

"What's emo?"

"What's emo? Are you kidding-oh. Right," she remembered she wasn't on Earth any more. "Emo is all dark and gloomy. You know-emotionless. Not that I don't like emo people, I just prefer cheerful and happy when I can get it."

The Minish's face went blank. "I'm not emotionless," was the stoic reply. Brittany burst out laughing, causing Vaati to smile.

"Now, you're making jokes!" beamed the Empath. "You really do brighten up a room when you smile, Vaati."

He stopped scrubbing the mug and turned to the girl beside of him. "You like my smile? Most people think it's creepy. That..." he paused for a moment, considering what to say, "and the rest of me."

Brittany shook her head and reached for the cup. "It's not creepy..." the Earthling wrapped her hand around the mug. She looked down at the pale fingers that nearly interlocked with her own. "...And neither are _**you.**_"

The sarcastic smirk faded from Vaati's face and turned into a genuine, shy smile. He relinquished his hold on the mug so his companion could dry it.

"You know something, Vaati?" Brittany glanced down at the mug.

"What's that?" he said, picking up another dish.

"I think you and I are going to be great friends. Uh, that is," she halted, then looked over at the lavender-haired mage, "if you want to be friends."

_Ka-PLUNK!_

The saucer in Vaati's hands slipped from his grasp and dropped into the sink. His eyes widened under a knitted brow, his jaw locked and his expression became as hard as stone. Brittany soon became keenly aware of having her connection to the Picori's emotional aura severed.

Her heart froze. The atmosphere of the kitchen seemed to drain of its charm from the eerie disappearance of her empathetic connection. All that could be heard was some distant squeaking in the foyer-probably Din hollering to Nayru they were spending the night-and the slosh of water as Vaati let his arms fall back into the basin. His long bangs that trailed down the sides of his face fell across his eyes, masking his stoic expression.

Brittany's face fell. _I guess..._she dropped her gaze back to the cloth in her hand.

_...I guess he doesn't want to be friends, after all,_ she mentally sighed._ Being in Hyrule is remarkable enough. I suppose I _**was**_ hoping for a bit too much-_

She heard a squeak. The girl looked up to find Vaati's lips barely parted, as if he were about to speak. She was about to dismiss her earlier comment when the pale Minish let out a high-pitched, squeaky laugh. He turned to her and shyly smiled.

"Y-yes," he said, his mousy eyes partially squinted in content, "I would like that very much."

A bright, beaming grin broke out onto Brittany's face as the words sunk in. The two of them giggled softly for a moment before turning back to finish the dishes.


	23. Playing Hookey

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**

_Playing Hookey_

The new friends finished washing the remaining dishes and putting them away rather quickly (although Brittany had a little trouble remembering where some of the items went). After they were finished, Vaati blew out the ceiling lamp and the two of them headed through the beaded curtain.

"Say, Vaati..." Brittany piped up.

"Hmm?"

"Are you _dying_ to go get another bonking on the head from Ezlo right now?"

The Minish smirked. "Not really."

"Then, what say we play hookey for a while?"

Vaati stopped in his tracks. For a moment, Brittany thought he was going to lecture her about being rude, but instead the imp whirled around with a sneaky grin on his face. "What did you have in mind?" he squeaked.

The Empath looked around. "Well, I've never been in a Minish home before," she replied. "How 'bout a tour?"

Vaati nodded, the smirk still lingering on his lips. "Of course! We'll start now. Back there," he pointed to the room they just left, "was the kitchen. We eat there. And this is Ezlo's shop, where he sells the various charms and potions we make. Not meaning to brag, but we're pretty popular when it comes to magical items," he scratched the base of his cap nervously. "We're the biggest supplier of medicinal and charm goods this side of the forest."

"Medical goods? Oh!" Brittany raised her hand and pointed at her companion. "That means you're a healer, doesn't it?"

"ME...? A healer?" Vaati let out a giggle. "I can barely fix a simple cut! It will be a long while before I can do any of the powerful healing spells, if ever. I'm of more use in the workshop, helping prepare potions-and even those I have to work hard on so they won't blow up in my face."

Brittany frowned. "Now, don't be like that!" she scolded him. "I'm sure you'll be a great healer in no time!"

The imp smiled, then turned and headed out into the foyer. Brittany filed in behind him, being careful not to step on the featherlike tail that swept along the ground after the Picori. As they passed through the entry chamber, Brittany saw that someone-perhaps Ezlo-had lit the ceiling lamps in the adjoining rooms, leaving the foyer still partially bathed in darkness. The brunette could hear chattering coming from the back room. She glanced around the edge of the doorway and saw several more rooms leading further into the recesses of the treehouse. Unfamiliar squeaks came from chattering Minish that lay beyond her line of sight.

"Do other Minish live here?" asked the girl.

Vaati shook his head. "No," he glanced into the back room, "but sometimes Minish come here to have serious wounds and illnesses healed. Although, recently, it's been mostly those that have stayed out too long in the sunshine and just want to be healed as fast as they can so they can go play outside again."

"Oh, you mean like a hospital?" The mage nodded. "Awesome! I never knew that Minish folk had hospitals. Well, then again, I don't suppose I know much at all about Minish..." Brittany tittered nervously.

The imp smirked. "Well, then," he flicked a lock of his lavender hair over his shoulder, "it looks like I am to be your guide to the Minish realm as well as your tour guide, huh?"

"Really? Would you?" Brittany gasped in excitement. The demand took Vaati aback for a moment, but grinned at the young woman's enthusiasm.

"You wanna see the rest of the house?" the imp squeaked. Brittany gave a nod. The imp turned and held out his palm, then brought his thumb and middle finger together. He gave his fingers a snap, causing a tiny red flame to appear over his palm. Vaati cupped his hand into a bowl around the flame before motioning for Brittany to follow him. The two ascended the staircase.

"So, how long have you and Ezlo lived here?" pondered the brunette.

"Not long...about five years," Vaati replied. "We used to live up near Lake Hylia, but we moved into this tree when our old stump became termite chow."

"Yeesh...I would have moved, too," Brittany wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Don't get me wrong-I love bugs-but being a termite's roommate would drive me crazy. Forever listening to that," she formed claws with her hands and made a biting motion, "_**chomping**_...oy vey, what a headache THAT would be!"

Vaati snickered at her gesture. "Well, we didn't get that chance. They sorta moved in one day when we were out and had gnawed through part of the roof by the time we got back."

Brittany stepped off the last step and onto the second floor. She gave a quick glance up. The way the treehouse was set up was so very much like the castle that it was creepy. She guessed that Vaati must have spent a lot of time in Hyrule Castle as a child for him to be able to replicate the castle's layout so. The way the floors wound from large to small as they ascended were just like a small version of those in the Royal Library. The only difference was that there was no skylight at the top.

They slowly began trekking their way up the many other staircases. Now and then, they would pass an open door and hear gentle snoring from inside, so they would quiet their chatter until they passed. As they walked, Brittany pelted her guide with more inquiries about the house (she actually wanted to ask Vaati about himself, but she decided to break the ice a bit more first). She soon leaned that Ezlo claimed the first floor for business and his personal living quarters, while the next three floors formed the hospital, followed by two more reserved especially for loved ones of the patients, then three more as empty storage chambers.

Finally, they pulled themselves up the final row of stairs. "Geez," whined Brittany, "I wonder if this is what a honeybee feels like?"

"Come to think of it," Vaati thought aloud, "this place does remind you of a hive, doesn't it?"

"Except that there are a lot fewer people at home and the walls don't drip honey...although, personally, I wouldn't mind that last one!" Vaati tried to suppress a giggle that threatened to come out a bit too loud. "Say, where are we going, anyway? I doubt you brought us all of the way up here to give me a tour when you could have merely pointed out the floors."

The Minish halted and turned to her. The tiny flame in his palm flickered shadows across his face, contorting the slight grin into a wicked smile. For a tiny imp, he could appear quite evil when surrounded by shadow (even if it was more a mischievous evil than a power-hungry one). He pointed to the only door on the tiny platform on which he stood. Brittany cocked her head in confusion as Vaati drew a small key from within his robes. He unlocked the tiny door and pulled it open.

Brittany stared in wonder as she looked through the opening. A small chamber lay before them, big enough only for the small flight of steps within. She could hear the wind whistle overhead. Vaati nodded his head toward the door.

"Go ahead."

The brunette stepped through the portal and into the chamber. The chilled night wind billowed into the crack in the wood where the chamber was and sent a shiver up her spine. The steps curled up around the exterior of the tree. If not for the light of the waning moon and stars overhead, the wall of bark would have completely obscured her view of the outside world. She carefully began her ascent. When the end of the stairs came in sight, she nervously turned back to Vaati. He smiled and motioned for her to go on. Excited, she darted up the last few steps.

Once she reached the top, Brittany found herself before another opening. She peeked inside. At one time, someone had lopped part of the treetop, leaving a clean break across the floor of the chamber. Somehow, several enormous branches bound together and fused at the top, forming a sort of gnarled steeple. A few windows peeked through the twigs, and a large gap at the back led up one of the few isolated branches left on the little tree.

The Empath stepped into the room, followed by her guide. The Minish nimbly made his way across the room, the wind from the gap causing his tiny flame to waver from the stress. She sauntered along after him. As he passed through the gap, the flame in his hand extinguished so he could pull himself up the incline of the branch. The moment Brittany stepped out onto the branch, the sight of the now-colossal forest surrounding the treehouse met her gaze.

"Get up here before the wind starts again!" Vaati called to her. She turned her gaze from the neighboring trees and clambered up the branch. She saw tiny twigs extending from the end of the branch. A balled mass of loose sticks and dried grass wove between the twigs, creating a nest of sorts. The imp climbed over the edge of the bundle and disappeared for a moment, then poked his head over the top and waved to her. Brittany pulled herself up the side and he helped her in.

"Shush!" he put a finger to his lips. Brittany gazed up to see the silhouette of a giant beast curled up in the bowl of twigs. Heat radiated off the creature, warming the girl against the slight chill of the night. A soft coo came from the figure, its steady breathing visible through its sides. Its head rested under an enormous feathered wing. Brittany let out a squeak.

"A bird!" she whispered. Vaati nodded.

"Wait here," commanded the Minish. He slowly eased across the mound of twigs, careful not to snap any of the few sticks that had not yet flattened down. Once he reached the bird, he gave its crawl a gentle stroke. The feathered mass soon pulled its head from beneath its wing and gazed down at him with beady eyes.

"Hello, my friend," Vaati called up to it.

The bird cocked its head to the side for a moment. "Vaati-chu?" it chirped. "Is it morning already?"

Vaati merely shook his head and leaned against the creature's side. The bird seemed to smile as the imp buried his face in its feathers. It lowered its head just close enough where he was just below its eye level. He reached a long, claw-like finger up and scratched the tip of its beak. He smiled as the bird let out a friendly coo.

Brittany noticed her guide had a tired yet very content expression on his face-much like, she imagined, the way a knight would look after being reunited with a beloved horse that he was separated from during battle. The bird seemed every bit as much a 747-sized puppy to the childlike Minish with the way Vaati spoke to it.

_Amazing..._thought the girl as she looked on at the loving scene. _Who would have imagined a villain could be so tenderhearted like that?_

As cute as the whole scenario was, however, there was one tiny piece of the situation that did not sit right with Brittany. As usual, her blunt nature prohibited her from keeping the shock all to herself.

"Holy crap, it TALKS!"


	24. The Proud What!

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**

_The Proud What?_

Both the bird and Minish turned to Brittany, who was gaping wide-eyed at gigantic winged creature towering over her. The bird nodded its head toward the brunette. "Hey, who's the girl?"

Vaati pushed himself away from the bird's flank. "That's Brittany," he waved his arm toward the Earthling.

The bird rose up and waddled over to the girl. It bent down and looked her over, then shot a glance toward the imp. "So, you've _**finally**_ found a girlfriend, then! It's about time! Although," the bird cast a glance down at the brunette, "she doesn't look much like any of the other Minish I've ever seen. Then again, you've always been an oddball yourself, so it's no wonder your sweetheart is, too-"

"Whoa, whoa, WHOA!" Brittany shouted, forming a 'T' with her hands. "Time out! You think he..." she pointed to Vaati. "...and I are...? Bird, those feathers on your head must be rooted a little _too_ deep."

Vaati let out a squeak in protest. "Taytl, she's _**NOT**_ my girlfriend! I barely know her..."

The bird cocked its head to the side. "Really? But she looks so familiar!" came a surprised chirp. The bird zoomed in close to the young woman's face for one last inspection. "Oh, now I know who she is! She's that chick Din and Nayru carted through that portal, isn't she? You know, that girl you've been fol-hey! What was that for?"

The bird started rubbing a wing against the leg closest to Vaati-who, for some reason, had a very anxious look on his face.

"Quiet, you!" hissed the imp.

"But, Vaati-chu," protested the feathered being, "she _IS!_ And you _**HAVE!**_"

"You 'have' what?" Brittany asked, her arms crossed over her chest.

"N-n-nevermind!" stuttered the nervous Picori. If she wasn't to horribly mistaken, Brittany swore she could feel a bit of awkward tension coming from her magical companion. Vaati brought a fist to his mouth and let out a small cough. "Ur...Brittany, allow me to introduce you!" he motioned toward the bird. "This is my friend Taytl."

The bird smiled down at the girl. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Brittany."

"Taytl has been my close friend and confidant since I was a child. She was the one who would help me escape Ezlo when he threw his little tantrums. Taytl," he extended his arm toward the girl and looked up at the bird, "this is Brittany. She's a friend of Link, the princess, and the oracles."

"And she's a pretty good dancer from what I've seen, too!"

Brittany immediately looked down at her outfit. She was still wearing the flowing Bohemian skirt and puffy low-cut blouse from her performance. In the excitement of Moosh running into town and hearing about Farore's capture, she had forgotten to change clothes! The girl let out a small cry of embarrassment and tried to pull the blouse up higher on her shoulders.

Taytl cocked her head to the side at the gesture. "Why are you pulling up your shirt like that?" the bird questioned her. "Most of the noble ladies of Labrynna wear stuff lower-cut than your top, and they usually don't have the assets to show off! You should be proud of your crawl-like me!"

The bird proudly puffed her feathered chest out as if she were posing for a photo. Vaati clapped his hand over his face. He was probably embarrassed as hell at all of this talk about 'female assets', but the darkness obscured any signs of a blush. That, and Brittany was too crimson-faced to tell whether the majority of the tension in the air came from the imp or herself.

"Eh? What's the matter with you two? I'm just pointing out the obvious!"

"Sometimes," muttered the imp from behind his hand, "the obvious should _**remain**_ unstated."

"But she's acting like she's not proud of her body, Vaati-chu! EVERYBODY should like her body! She's got a nice crawl-she'd be a big hit if she were a woodfinch," cooed the bird, completely oblivious to how uncomfortable she was making both parties. "C'mon, don't you think she has a nice crawl?"

Forget the darkness. Everyone in a five-mile radius could feel the blush coming off Vaati now. What made it worse was that the bird kept pestering the poor little guy until he was about in tears. Brittany had always wondered what it would be like to talk to birds (they were her favorite animal, after all), but she had never thought that one could be so painfully blunt! And persistent, too...

"Will you hush, already?" a raspy squeak escaped the Minish's throat.

"Not until you say it..."

"No!"

"_**SAY IT...!**_" Taytl practically hissed the last two words.

Taytl tugged Vaati's sleeve with her beak and his hand came off his face. He tried to cover it with the other hand, but she just pulled that one away, too. They kept at the whole face covering/uncovering charade for a few minutes until Vaati could not tolerate her game anymore. Without warning, he bolted across the nest and practically sprung over the side.

"C'mon, Brittany!" shouted the flustered Minish. "We've gotta go meet Ezlo!"

"Oh, no, you don't!" Taytl nipped at his robe, but the imp managed to clamber down the branch and into the steeple room before the bird could seize him. Brittany could not help but feel pity for the little guy-he probably hadn't been around too many girls, and, from what she already saw, his standoffish personality probably did not help much for the situation.

She climbed up on the edge of the nest. "I should follow him," the girl excused herself.

"Oh, very well," cooed the woodfinch. "You are a cute chick, Brittany-tayroo. I don't understand why you don't seem to like your body, but I guess it has something to do with that world you came from. If it does, _I_ certainly wouldn't want to stay there!"

Brittany let out a small chuckle.

"It was nice to meet you, Taytl," the girl called out as she climbed down the side of the nest.

"'Til we meet again, Brittany-tayroo," the bird waved to her as she headed down the branch. "Oh, and one more thing!"

"Huh?"

Brittany turned around once she reached the gap in the bark. "Make sure Vaati answers my question!"

The Empath laughed nervously and ducked into the room. Vaati was trying his best to summon another light orb so they could see. However, he was still so perturbed that it took several difficult tries before he could manage even a decent spark. Once he finally got the flames going, she could see that there were still traces of a blush on his cheeks-which, on Vaati's pale skin, made him look scalded by the sun rather than embarrassed. Brittany cleared her throat.

"Taytl is quite the riot, isn't she?" she spoke nervously.

"She's something, alright," Vaati growled in a voice that hinted whatever he thought of the bird probably could not be spoken in polite society. "I...apologize for her remarks earlier. Tact really isn't her specialty."

"Aww, I don't mind, Vaati-_chu_," Brittany giggled.

The mage rolled his eyes. "Ugh, I wish she wouldn't call me that..."

"Why? What does it mean?" asked the Earthling.

"It's just something in Woodfinch dialect that she tacked onto my name," grumbled Vaati. He left her inquiry unanswered as he headed toward the stairs. Brittany ran to catch up with him.

"Hey, wait!" she stumbled down the steps after him. "I want to know what it means!"

Vaati remained silent and picked up his pace. The Empath had the run just to keep up with him.

"Vaati, slow down! I won't be able to see when we get inside if I don't have your light!" her words whistled through the air after the imp. He halted once he reached the lower platform. "Now...Tell me what 'chu' means."

Vaati heaved a frustrated sigh. "Fine...but only," he held up his smallest finger, "if you promise not to tell Link and the others."

"Promise!" Brittany wrapped her pinky around the extended finger. "Now spill it!"

"'Chu' is Woodfinch for..." he hesitated.

"_**Spill it**_..."

"Goddesses, you're as bad as she is!"

"Vaati," warned the girl, "you had better tell me now before I ask Ezlo in front of the others!"

Vaati rolled his eyes once more and groaned. "It means 'hatchling', okay?" he huffed. "In Woodfinch, it's the same as calling a younger sibling 'squirt' or 'baby'."

Brittany giggled. "You mean she's been calling you '_Vaati-baby_'this whole time?" Without another word, Vaati turned around and stomped off. "Aww, I wasn't making fun of you! Come back!"

Vaati darted down a floor. "Remember," he stopped short and pointed a finger at Brittany, who was running so fast that she nearly slammed into him, "you promised!"

"Hey, no worries, man!" the girl raised one hand and placed the other over her heart. "Besides, she called me something, too."

Vaati raised an eyebrow. "Really?" the imp hissed under his breath.

"Yeah, she called me 'teh-rioo' or something like that."

"Wait a minute..." Vaati looked up at her. "You mean 'tayroo'?"

"Yeah! That's it!" the girl nodded. "Why, what does it-"

"Oh, my, Goddesses...that stupid bird!" he smacked his forehead with his free hand. Brittany gave him a puzzled look. "She called you a word derived from her own name!"

Brittany grinned. "That's good, right?"

"Not if you knew what her name meant!"

"Why, what's it mean?" Vaati noticed the close proximity between their faces and gulped. "Well?"

He tossed a glance toward the ceiling. "Why did she put me up to this...?"

"Just tell me already!"

"Fine! 'Taytl' is a shortened version of the Woodfinch phrase 'tayreiko tlio', meaning...well...it means..."

Brittany drove her fists deeper into her hips and scowled. "Will you just spit it out? Sheesh! It can't be THAT bad!"

"'_Tlio_' means 'small' and '_tayreiko_'means...ur..."

Vaati sucked in a deep breath. A pained grimace marked his face as the imp put his hands out in front of him, holding an invisible ball against his chest. Brittany's eyes widened. "And yours is a combination of '_tayreiko roo_'or to..._**gulp**_...to have pride in one's..."

A flat, emotionless expression overtook the girl's face. "You mean she's been calling me 'proud'..." Brittany looked down at her low-cut top. She threw her arms across her chest the moment the realization hit her. "_**Oh, good LORD!**_"

Both Empath and Minish must have turned fifty shades of red before either of them managed a distinguishable word. When she finally managed to stop babbling her high-pitched, incoherent curses, she wrapped a fist in the front of the Minish's robe and glared at him. She pointed a finger from her free hand barely a Picori-inch from his nose.

"This conversation?" she warned. "It _**never**_ happened. Understand?"

The imp let out a fearful squeak when he saw the fury in her eyes. "G-got'cha!" Vaati managed to stutter out. Brittany released her fierce grip on his robe and pushed the Picori aside. Vaati darted ahead, making sure to keep quite a bit of distance between himself and the angry Empath as they continued their descent. Not as if he had much to say at the moment even if he could have done so without getting his face bashed in.

He was too busy thinking of the many horrible tortures that he was going to do to Taytl once the meeting with Ezlo was finished!


	25. The First Clue

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE**

**"**_The First Clue_**"**

It only took the duo a fraction of the time to descend the floors as it did to climb them. Be it from Taytl's awkward conversation, their hurry to prevent another severe bashing from Ezlo, or perhaps a combination of both...whatever the reason, Brittany and Vaati soon found themselves traipsing down the last flight of stairs and into the foyer.

None of the foyer's wall lamps was lit, reminding the girl just how empty the treehouse truly was. Brittany had to make do with Vaati's flame and what light poured through from the adjoining rooms to get across the darkened chamber. She could hear distant chatter coming from beyond the room opposite the shop chamber. Taking one final deep breath to still her nerves, she headed into it.

Ezlo's workshop and study were the same. Or, I should say, they were _now_. Apparently, whatever the sage had been concocting earlier when Din thumped the side of the treehouse led to such an explosion that part of the wall dividing the study and workshop had been blown apart. Luckily, as the wall was not carved out of the wood itself, there hadn't been too much damage...just a mess of twigs and dried straw (Minish-style insulation) piled in two huge stacks on each side of the room.

The study itself was rather neat-if you ignored the gaping hole where the archway once was and the scattered debris all over the ground. Ezlo sat in the center of the chaos, his chair pushed up to a huge wooden desk. Books were piled high on both sides of the desk, scrolls were scattered all over its top, and random pieces of half-scrawled-on bits of paper were jammed into any free space the sage could cram them. At the moment, Ezlo himself was pouring over a particularly large volume, quickly jotting down notes on a scroll that had partially rolled off the desk in his haste.

As for the others, their lack of knowledge on Minish writing may have excused Link and Zelda from the grueling task of research, but Ezlo kept Din darting from bookshelf to bookshelf in search of various texts. The princess sat in a chair off to the side watching the harried mess unfold while Link casually leaned against the back, his arms crossed on top of the chair and his chin gently resting on Zelda's head. Both of them had worried expressions on their faces.

The dancer leapt down from ladder and thrust a thin red book under the sage's nose. "Is this it?" she panted.

"'_Horses of the Western World_'...thank you, Din," Ezlo nodded and took the text from her. "I need you to fetch me '_Folklore of the Kagesheika_' now."

"Right on," she breathed more than said before running back over and jumping onto the ladder again. Brittany and Vaati walked straight into the room, unafraid of another bashing from the preoccupied sage. Ezlo was so deeply involved in his work that he did not notice anyone approach. While Vaati ambled over to the desk, Brittany turned to the two blonde Hylians in the corner.

"Have they found anything yet?" she mouthed silently. Zelda merely cast her eyes down and Link lifted his head long enough to shake a 'no'. The Empath frowned at turned back to the desk.

"Ezlo..." Vaati softly spoke, placing his hand on the page Ezlo was currently reading. The sage looked up with a start, then turned back to his notes.

"About time you showed up," he grumbled. "Make yourself useful and go find that book on Kagesheika folklore."

Without uttering another word, Vaati headed over to the bookshelves to join Din. Meanwhile, Brittany decided to make herself scarce. She walked over to where Zelda was sitting.

"How come you guys aren't helping?" she whispered to Link, who now was had his back to the wall and his hands propped behind his head.

"Neither of us can read Minish," the hero answered.

"Poor Din," the brunette cast a glance over toward the weary redhead. "I wanted to help her..."

"You'll still be able to help us save Farore once Ezlo finds what he's looking for," reminded Link. "Where were you guys, anyway? Drinking tea doesn't take that long, especially when your cup's already empty."

"I still had a drop left!" Brittany hissed. "Besides, I kinda wanted to let Ezlo blow off some steam before we showed up. I don't think I could handle another bonk on the noggin without firing back an attack of my own."

"Yeah, but that doesn't explain where you were."

The Earthling scowled at the youth. "Are you always this nosy?" Link scowled right back.

"Not usually, but you've got me curious."

"I asked Vaati to give me a tour," she finally said. "You wouldn't believe how closely this place resembles the castle! The whole of the building is a replica of the Royal Library!"

"Really?" Zelda piped up. "I wonder why they would build the inside to match-"

"FINISHED!"

The small group turned around to see Din and Vaati perched on each side of Ezlo, who was presently holding up a completed scroll. Brittany and the two Hylians hurried across the room to check it out.

"What didja find, Ezlo?" Link asked.

"As much as I possibly could, that's what!" barked the gruff sage. "I couldn't find anything on those 'curved tadpoles' of yours, but I DID discover something about those horses the bear saw," he pointed down at the scroll, where a flurry of notes had been scribbled in Hylian characters so the others could read them. "Your young rancher girl was correct. Not only are those beasts not found in Hyrule, but they aren't native to Holodum, Labyrnna, or any of the other surrounding nations. They can only be found with the master horse breeders of the Desert Wastelands."

The younger imp's eyes widened and the princess let out a tiny gasp. Din slammed her hand down onto the table.

"You mean to tell me that the desert people captured my sister?"

Ezlo huffed. "I make no such assumptions," he calmly spoke. "But what I do know is that if anyone knows where those horses came from, it would be them."

"Oh, yeah?" Din ground her other fist into her hip. "And how would you know that? Have you ever been to the Desert Wastelands before?"

"No, I have not."

"Then how-"

"The tales of their people's shrewdness reaches even unto the ears of the Picori, O Impertinent One," he remarked. "The desert people are very skilled at raising the strongest, fastest, and tallest horses. They pride themselves on that art because only they have the resources from which to provide such beasts. That's why they are very careful to only provide geldings-castrated males-to their buyers. And such animals come with a high price, so that makes them available only to the wealthiest of people. Also, those horses are bred especially for _war_, and they have the power and temperament to go with it. They require the utmost of care and plenty of space to tear about in...Not to mention incredible skill with such powerful beasts."

"So, in other words," Zelda joined in, "only well-trained knights or royalty with enough land and money to maintain such a horse could own one?"

"Or a merchant specialized in the trade of horse flesh, or perhaps a skilled thief."

"Then that's our first clue, everyone!" Link shouted.

"Yes, but that still has not narrowed it down enough," reminded the princess. "ANYONE of great wealth from the surrounding lands could have taken Farore. And besides," she sighed, "whomever kidnapped her could have either borrowed or stolen those horses from someone."

"That's why I suggest that you seek out the Master Breeders themselves," Ezlo said. "Remember the shrewdness I spoke of? On every occasion that I have found, those merchants had always made careful record of how many horses were sold at any given time. They would be able to tell you whom they sold the beasts to."

"But we still need someone to track the magic-user," Link recalled.

The sage rolled up the scroll and pushed his chair away from the desk, then stood and smoothed out the wrinkles in his soot-stained robe.

"That is why..." he said, picking up his staff and turning to the hero.

"That is why I am going with you."


	26. Enough Is too Much

**Warning(s):** Intense Horror (pretty gross! Don't read if easily sickened)

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX**

**"**_Enough Is Too Much_**"**

_So _Ezlo_ is going to be our guide...? Great,_ fumed Brittany, _we get to tote along an old, crotchety Minish with a sadistic love of beating people!_

She groaned inwardly at the thought. If Ezlo was coming along, she sure as hell was not going to carry him! Besides, Link was closest to him-the old sage could chew his ear off rather than hers. Suddenly, a worried thought pierced her mind. How _was_ Ezlo going to come along? Both the game and manga pertaining to Hyrule had only shown Ezlo, at most, at a fraction of Link's child height-and even then he had been a Minish. Would Ezlo use an entrance to return to that size or would he remain tiny? If so, how was he to travel? The bottle idea once again came to mind.

...Unfortunately, so did Ezlo's whacks from earlier. The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to drop kick the grouchy Picori once she returned to her full height. Of course, that thought soon turned into a bottled Ezlo being used for a football and sent reeling over a field goal. And that amused her. Which was a bad thing, considering it got her laughing at a very inappropriate time.

"What is so funny, may I ask?" the sage turned to her. The screaming-face image from her daydream overtook Brittany to the point where even the gruff face of the Picori couldn't stop her laughter. "Cease that ridiculous giggling immediately!"

Then she lost it. All she could do was point and cackle 'touchdown!' Obviously, this rude display angered Ezlo, so he gave her another couple of whacks from his staff. Brittany, however, was laughing way too hard to care. She fell to her knees, holding her ribs with one arm and still pointing with the other. Ezlo flew into another rage and started ranting and screaming in such a high pitch that not even his apprentice could understand him. The Empath was just as ridiculous, trying to babble out why she was laughing but to no avail.

Everyone else just looked at one another in confusion and backed up (like anyone would want to catch whatever fit those two had!).

"Drop kick..._hah ha_...scream..._heh hah_..._**eeeee!**_"

"Ignorant..._pant_...wretched..._pant_...female!" Ezlo got a whack of his own as Din brought her palm upside his head.

"Don't be dissing the ladies now," warned the redhead.

When Brittany finally managed to stop roaring with laughter, she climbed back to her feet and wiped a tear from her eye. "I'm sorry," she mused. "You ever have something funny come to ya' at the weirdest time?"

_CRACK!_

"WERE YOU EVEN PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT I WAS SAYING, YOU ADDLEPATED TWIT?"

Brittany saw stars with that last blow. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head and she collapsed. She would have hit the desk, too, had not a certain purple-haired imp been standing nearby. Vaati rushed forward just in time to keep her from face-planting onto the mound of scrolls and books. She gazed up at him, half-groggy, as he crumpled to the floor with her in his arms. The others issued shocked cries and darted to their fallen comrade's side.

"Damn, Ezlo!" Link shouted. "You think you hit her hard enough?"

"My, Goddesses!" Zelda cried out. "Is she okay?" Din reached down and tried to lightly slap some life back into the girl.

"Yeah, she's just winded."

Vaati growled under his breathed. He shot a hateful glare over at his aged master. He narrowed his nearly-nonexistent eyebrows in rage, accenting his ruby eyes with fires enough to rival those of Hell. The fingers of one claw-like hand clenched around the arm of the semi-conscious girl as he raised the other in a fist to the sage.

"That is _**ENOUGH**_, Ezlo!" he leered. "Your foolish tantrums have gone on long enough! You could have really hurt her!"

"Pah! That kid's got a head as thick as Mt. Crenel! See?" he held up the end of his staff where the bird's head should have been (key word there: should). The ornament had snapped clean off the tip and was laying in the floor at his feet. Vaati continued to scowl at his master until he felt the body in his grasp grow limp.

"Hey, wake her up!" the oracle shouted. "We can't let her go to sleep after a blow to the head like that!"

"Brittany...Brittany!" Vaati shook her. "Open your eyes!"

"Stay with us, kid!"

"_Brittany...!_"

Brittany did not hear anything after she had been hit. The blow from Ezlo's staff was so powerful she was nearly out cold even before Vaati caught her. She saw the desk rushing up at her, and had been aware of her body being flipped over as she was pulled away from it. The last thing she remembered seeing was a worried pair of ruby red eyes staring down into her own.

But now, there was darkness. At least for a moment, anyway. Before long, however, a powerful beam of ultraviloet-ish light came out of the darkness and focused in on her. She raised her arm to shield her eyes.

_You Can Put The Blame On Me (On Me),_

_You Can Put The Blame On Me (On Me),_

_You Can Put The-_

She flipped open the cell phone in her hand. "H-hello?" her voice wavered as she spoke.

"_**DIE!**_"

A truck engine revved up and tires squalled. Brittany turned and bolted away into the darkness, the vehicle right on her heels. She could feel the truck getting closer and closer to her, allowing her only a few steps advantage. If she slipped it would have been all over. Suddenly, a harsh grip went around her upper arm and she was jerked away from the path-pulling her out of the way just in time.

Brittany sighed as she watched the lights of the truck disappear into the blinding darkness, leaving only the flash of the red breaklights trailing along behind it. She noticed as a faint red mist began to curl along her legs.

"Thank..._pant_...thank you...eep!"

She turned around to face her savior only to be greeted with a pair if icy blue eyes. Droplets of some sort fell onto her cheek. She reached up to touch them but gasped once the mist illuminated what was now smeared on her fingertips.

_B...blood...it's BLOOD!_

She let out a shriek, causing the faint red mist to explode in a myriad of flames around her-leaving her in a scene directly out of a horror film. A man-no, he was no longer a man, but a demon-towered over her, those piercing blue eyes narrowed under what was left of a grim brow. Rotten flesh hung in shreds from the creature's face, exposing the muscle tissue beneath. Rivulets of the same sanguine liquid as had fallen onto her cheek cascaded down the strips of dangling skin. Her eyes focused on a wicked flash of bared teeth that shone through the flames.

The demon's grasp increased on her arm. Tendrils of fire shot out like whips and wrapped onto the defenseless girl, shaking her in their wretched grasp.

"_**Welcome to Hell, Brittany!**_"

The monster hissed the words through his teeth...familiar words.

"No! No, Jay, stop! _Lemme __**GO!**_" Brittany screeched, her body all but frozen to where she stood. She felt herself tingling all over, he mind slipping away, herself giving up...giving in. She mentally jerked at her consciousness, begging-pleading for her body to move. But all she could manage to do was shake her head in disbelief and listen as her screams grew fainter and darkness overtook her.

Vaati's blood ran cold as the girl he was holding let out a deafening shriek. When she had first fallen unconscious, he had tried shaking her to wake her up. That's when her head started to lash about-slowly at first, then worse as she started to mumble. A pained grimace had stricken her face, prompting the pouting Ezlo to come investigate. Brittany's body was thrown into tremors the moment the sage's hand touched her forehead.

It took all Vaati and the Hylians could do to hold the shrieking girl down.

The cry that rang out from her lips was the most frightening sound that the Minish had ever heard. Not even during his time under the cap's influence had he heard such a mixture of agony, anguish, and terror all rolled into one debilitating scream. Goddesses, that sound pierced him right to the core!

He had seen her have nightmares before-he having witnessed both her incident in the village and in Hyrule Castle-but nothing like this! He could have strangled Ezlo for hitting her so hard! If that whack with the staff had brought on such a terrifying fit, beloved teacher or not...Ezlo's head was going to roll!

Vaati did not have time to think on the matter any longer, because Brittany's eyes had snapped open with her last jerk. He turned to help her back into reality. She lay prostrate in his arms, unmoving-her mouth hung open, her eyes gripped with fear, and her glasses resting crooked over her nose. Concern washed over the mage's visage as he lightly shook the young woman.

"Brittany! Brittany, it's okay! You're okay!" he called aloud, his voice laced with fear.

Gradually, the tremors faded until she was no longer nearly bending herself in half and thrashing her limbs about (not that she could, since all three of the Hylians had wrapped themselves around her lower body and Vaati himself had her torso in a death grip). The Picori mage calmly spoke to Brittany until her breathing stabilized and the familiar spark of life returned to her eyes.

It was several minutes before the girl could speak. The color had drained from her peachy flesh, giving her a ghostly appearance. She looked so tired that Vaati had not the heart to release her. Instead, he remaining kneeling on the floor, holding the young woman in a now much looser grip until she regained some of her strength.

One by one, the Hylians relinquished their grip on her legs once they were certain that she was not going to burst into another fit. They slumped back, exhausted and arms trembling, and looked back and forth from Brittany to each other. Link and Zelda were both stricken with a dreadful countenance.

"Zelda," Link glanced over at his weary companion, "do you think that was another of her nightmares?"

The princess gave a grim nod. "I...I believe it was, Link," she muttered as her hand found its way to her mouth. "Only, that one was far worse than her last two."

"Last _two?_" the hero puzzled.

"She had one yesterday morning. The poor girl let out a scream so awful that it woke up everyone on the opposite side of the castle."

"Excuse me!" Din interrupted. "You mean to tell me that she's had these things before?" The blondes nodded. "And you two never told me? Don't'cha think this is the kind of thing Nayru and I need to know about? We're _oracles_, for Heaven's sake!"

"Din, I do not believe even you have the power to heal this young woman," uttered Ezlo. His hand was placed on Brittany's forehead and his eyes were closed in deep concentration. His face was contorted into the sort of grave scowl that a doctor who is about to deliver the fate of a loved one would have.

"I healed her knee before! Why can I not heal her now-"

"This child," the sage began, "has an affliction neither of the body nor the mind. As far as I can tell, she is not under any spell that could cause such a calamity. There is no logical explanation for it."

"Actually..."

Everyone looked over to Vaati, who still kept his gaze pinned to the Earthling's uneasy stare.

"There is one."


	27. Fit to Be Tied

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN**

**"**_Fit to Be Tied_**"**

All eyes now focused on Vaati.

"You said she has nightmares, right? What were they about?"

Zelda shook her head. "I'm sorry...she never told us. After we witnessed the fit she had in the bakery, we tried to ask her. All she said was that she often had chilling nightmares and that many of them were accompanied by such fits. Sometimes, she said, the fits came alone."

"They must be horrible..." the imp now spoke to the girl in his arms. "...For someone so cheerful as you to go through such a thing."

A small tear glistened at the corner of one of her wide hazel eyes. "V...Va...Vaati...?" came a tiny sound, no louder than the rustle of a leaf. But it was powerful enough to make the Hylians scramble across the floor to the Empath's side.

"Are you feeling better now, Brittany?" the mage softly asked. She managed a tiny nod. "Would you like to sit up?" Brittany nodded again, so Vaati and Ezlo helped her to a sitting position. She leaned her back against the drawers of the wooden desk and heaved a weary sigh.

"For...forgive me, everyone-"

Vaati put a finger to her lips. "Shh...try to relax," he said. A loud clamor of excited chatter rose up from out in the foyer. The mage shot a glance over to his teacher.

"I will handle that," volunteered the sage. He rose and hurried out of the study to prevent the other Minish from entering the room.

Vaati turned back to the girl. "Brittany, did you have a nightmare when Ezlo knocked you out?"

"That li'l bastard knocked me out?" slurred the young woman. "I'll really drop kick his ass when I get back to my normal height, you just wait and see..."

Everyone managed to smile at her joke. "I see nothing has damaged your sense of humor," droned the sprite. He looked up for a moment toward the hole in the archway. Vaati could barely make out the back of Ezlo's charred robe from the lobby passageway. He smirked. For once, that sharp tongue of the old sage's came in handy-well, it sent the curious Minish guests running back to their rooms, at least.

Brittany groaned and pulled her legs to the side. She smoothed out the fabric of her long skirt so that it covered all but her feet. Her eyes remained on a tiny thread at the hem.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice barely above a whisper and loaded with shame.

"Don't worry about it," Din piped up. "We're just glad you're alright."

The girl tried to snip the thread off with her fingernails. "Brittany, how long have you been having these fits?" Vaati inquired. The girl immediately ceased fiddling with the string and pulled her hand up to her upper arm-the arm that both Vaati and the demon in her nightmare had grabbed. The imp frowned. "Did I hurt you?" he asked, reaching out to touch the Empath's arm. "I must have gripped too hard when you fell...I apologize."

"You grabbed me?" the maiden blurted out.

"Yes..."

Brittany heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank the Lord," she smiled and rubbed her arm. "Your grip must have come into my nightmare. I thought Ja...um, I mean I thought a demon had grabbed me." The Empath sighed once more and let out a small chuckle.

"You have nightmares about demons?" asked Din.

She nodded. "I have nightmares about a lot of things. I seldom had one-or, should I say, I never had really vivid ones-until a few weeks after my first fit."

"Brittany," Vaati repeated, "how LONG have these fits been going on?"

The young woman was silent for several minutes, choosing to stare off to the side and away from her friends. For the longest time, it seemed all that could be heard was Ezlo's squawking out in the foyer and the squabble between the sage and the other Minish. Eventually, the noise faded until no more curious squeaks could be heard.

She knew she had hesitated far too much. Bravely, the Earthling sucked in a deep breath and let her answer slip out in a sigh.

"...Nearly a year."

"A YEAR?"

Her head snapped up, her eyes narrowed to a defensive scowl. "They don't happen all the time!" she protested as she waved her hand in radical gesture. "I usually don't dream at all anymore. These things just show up now and then-"

"I don't know if you should go after Farore," Zelda said.

Brittany slammed her fist against the floor. "No way, Princess! Screw these fits-I am going whether anyone likes it or not!"

"Then that settles it," Vaati said grinning at her. Brittany gave him a quizzical look, but before she could ask anything Ezlo reentered the room.

"Well, kid," the Picori sage looked down at the maiden, "it seems like your little fit was loud enough to wake the whole house. It took some doing but I finally convinced everyone that everything was alright," Brittany bowed her head in shame, but Ezlo merely smiled and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Do not be so upset, miss," he said. "The Minish are always nosy creatures-they were more worried that either Vaati or myself had blow ourselves to smithereens rather than being angry over waking up in the middle of the night. It won't be long before they are all once more snug in their beds and oblivious to the world."

Brittany managed a weak smile.

"Now, Vaati..." the sage turned to his pupil. "You said there was another possible source behind what just happened?"

The mage nodded. "Although I don't know all the details," the imp said, now looking over at Brittany, "I'm almost certain that they come from her heart."

The brunette shook her head. "But, I've never had heart problems-"

"Not just your _physical_ heart," Vaati replied placing a hand over his left breast, "but also your _spiritual_ heart. Near the center of your chest-that place in your chest where your natural essence collects. Where your magic first develops," the mage had a soft glow to his eyes. "It's the one of the strongest, most hard-working muscles of the body and yet also the most vulnerable. I should know."

A sad smile tugged at the corners of Vaati's lips as he gingerly placed a hand over his left breast. The Empath felt a tiny sting of grief creep up through the bottom of her ribcage. It wrenched at the organs in her chest. Instinctively, her own hand traveled up and found its place over her heart. She opened her mouth to speak, but Vaati merely nodded in unspoken agreement. He had been referring to his past influence under the cap.

"Then...there's nothing I can do, is there?"

The Picori magicians and Brittany turned to Din, whose usual witty visage was now marred by intense guilt. The brunette shook her head.

"Din, you have done so much for me already-you all have! I was given a place to stay with good food to eat, and I got the chance to help make real swords! And you, Din," she beamed at the oracle. "You healed my knee. Without that, I may never have been able to run and dance again!"

She pushed herself up and dusted off her skirt. "And..." her gaze pierced the dancer's eyes, "had it not been for Farore, I would not even be here."

The words flowed from her lips with confidence and determination.

"If you really want to help me, Din, you will allow me to go search for your sister. I know these fits may seem harsh, but they don't happen so often as they did when I first started having them. And most of my sleep is dreamless sleep anyway, so you don't have to worry about me waking the dead every time I doze off!"

"No offense, Brittany, but do you even know _how_ to fight?" Link interjected. "Can you shoot a moblin in the eye at fifty paces, or deflect a deku shrub pellet with a shield? Have you ever been involved in close-range combat, felt the breath of an enemy on your face as your arms tremble under the weight of locked swords?"

"No, I can't say as I have."

"Then how will you be able to defend yourself without getting in the way?"

"Link!" Zelda protested.

The hero locked eyes with the princess. "I'm being serious here, Zelda. I know you are a markswoman with the bow and, with Impa coming along, we need not worry about lack of muscle, but we cannot afford to be forever getting Brittany out of trouble. It will not only jeopardize our own safety, but it will slow us down in the long run."

"Then teach me how to use a sword!" Brittany demanded. "I am a fast learner-Din can vouch for me there. I may not be able to do all of those fancy flips like you can, but I'm strong. I'll practice hard and learn how to pace myself so I won't leave an opening or wear myself out in the first few minutes of battle. But I AM going after Farore-even if I have to go alone."

The maiden no longer resembled the confused, indecisive girl that the Hylians first encountered. Now, Brittany stood as a commanding presence, one hand placed defiantly on her hip with the elbow sharply jabbed out to the side, the other balled into a fist over her heart. Her feet were rooted firmly to the ground, her knees bent just enough to preserve her stance. An impassioned fire glinted in her hazel eyes and accented flecks of acidic green of each iris.

Brittany had won the verbal battle before it had even begun.

"You'll have to start practicing right away," mentioned Link.

The girl eagerly nodded. "I can't wait."

"But what about our guide?" Zelda piped up. "We still need a Minish to help us track down Farore's magic and that of her capturer."

Ezlo coughed. "I may not be a spring chicken, Princess, but I managed being used as a parachute by that brat," he pointed what was left of his staff at Link, "enough times without coming apart. I daresay you'll not find a better magic tracker in all of Hyrule or any of its allied lands."

"In that case, I'm going, too!" shouted Vaati.

"No! You have to stay here," Ezlo barked. "Someone has to tend to the customers and injured Minish while I am away."

"Ezlo," the mage hopped up, "you know just as well as I do that I'm no healer. Hell, I'd probably do more damage than good trying to doctor to someone!"

"Then get some of the Forest Picori to come help you."

"No way, old man! I am going, and that is that!"

Ezlo glared down at him beneath a furrowed, nearly non-existent brow. "Oh, is that so?"

"It is!" Vaati retorted. "I won't sit around here and be useless while you go off on a dangerous mission. Besides," spoke the Minish in a crafty tone, "how can I improve my magic while my teacher is off saving the world?"

"Well," the sage stroked his beard, "I AM a great teacher!"

"The best!" Brittany added. Vaati gave her a small grin. "And two magical heads are better than one!"

Ezlo gave a snort. "I can get Festa to send someone to run the place while you two are gone," Din said. "Or you could just leave me in charge-"

"Absolutely _**NOT!**_" protested the mage. "Someone as big and clumsy as you would just finish blowing up the rest of the house! No, you best get a real Minish to do the work. Meanwhile, Vaati," he whirled around to face his startled apprentice, "I'm counting on you to get yourself ready. I'll not be responsible if you forget something important!"

The lavender-haired Minish smirked. "No worries there, Master," he replied. "I can go as I am."

"Then, we're all settled!" Zelda clapped her hands. "Tomorrow, we leave for the Desert Wastelands."

Everyone nodded and murmured in agreement.

"Until then, we must rest up for the big journey," Ezlo said. "I'm off to bed. Vaati, you can show our guests to a few spare rooms, can't you?"

And with that, the meeting ended.


	28. A Matter of the Heart

**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT**

**"**_A Matter of the Heart_**"**

The group sat out before the sun rose, with everyone parading just short of a run to reach the entrance where the Hylians shrank. Ezlo and Vaati preferred to remain tiny until they were out of Hyrule (though suspected dead, Vaati was STILL a criminal in the eyes of the people). While Din, Link and Zelda returned to the castle to make final preparations, Brittany headed to Lon Lon Ranch to meet up with Moosh-her left arm held tight against her stomach with the two Picori hidden in the folds of her sleeve.

She was happy to find that the ranchers had kept the guards away from Moosh until the King called off the search for him. The bear now lay in the field grass by the farmhouse, warming himself in the sunshine. When the ranchers came out to meet her, she whispered aloud so that the Picori would stay out of sight (not that they needed to, since the ranchers were no longer children). Brittany told them about the impending journey, which prompted the nosy farmers to go back to their work. Once they were gone, the girl plopped down in the grass beside of Moosh and explained the princess' plan. Just as she finished her explanation, Malon returned with the clothing the Empath wore when she first came through the portal. When the redhead left, she asked Moosh to watch the two Picori for a while.

"He'll fall asleep, roll over and squish us!" shouted Ezlo.

"No I won't," Moosh protested. He gave a huge yawn, completely ruining his credibility.

"Look, I really need to wash up before we go," Brittany whispered to the sage. "If I don't do it now, I might not get another chance once we get on the trail."

Of course, Ezlo just HAD to make it difficult on the girl by refusing to be 'babysat by a giant ball of blue blubber'. Not only that, but then the sage requested his own bath. She glanced down at Vaati with an 'is-he-always-this-whiny' look on her face. A shake of his head made her groan. Heaving a frustrated sigh, she tucked her clothing under one arm and headed off toward the bathhouse. This was one trip that obviously was not off to a good start.

Brittany pulled the door to behind her and brought the bar down to lock it. She headed over and picked up the large basin sitting by the tub. Ezlo and Vaati climbed down off her sleeve onto the rim of the tub so she could pump some water.

"How did I wind up being the maid for a pipsqueak wizard, anyway?" the girl muttered under her breath.

"I heard that, you incompetent wench!" Ezlo yelled up at her, along with an assortment of other various insults. Brittany just ignored his rant and sat the basin down on the ground. "Hey, I can't reach that!"

"Jump," the brunette mused. "Just think of it as a big swimming pool."

"But I'll get my clothes wet!"

"Aren't you supposed to disrobe before you bathe," Brittany laughed, "or is there some weird Minish custom I don't know about?"

"I'M NOT UNDRESSING IN FRONT OF YOU!"

"I was gonna turn my back while you washed, you dummy..."

"But then I'll _**drown**_ before I can get out!" the sage stamped his foot in anger.

The Empath rolled her eyes and walked over toward the cabinets at the back of the room. She started rummaging through the cubby holes.

"And I need something to dry off with, too! I can't go around sopping wet all day!"

Brittany mumbled under her breath. If Ezlo was already so demanding, she dreaded having to put up with his behavior for the rest of the trip. The thought of drop-kicking the stubborn sage came back to her mind, but she was too annoyed to enjoy the thought. Instead, she ignored him and took several washcloths, a towel, and a bar of flower-scented soap from the cupboard. She returned to her guides, then draped a washcloth over the side of the bowl so that the tip fell into the water while the rest fell onto the ground. Another cloth she lay unfolded on the tile beside the bowl.

"There you go," Brittany scraped off a small chunk of soap and handed it to each Minish. "Now you can climb over the cloth when you are finished, and dry yourselves on the other." She extended a finger along the edge of the tub so they could step onto it, then she lowered the imps to the top of the rag. "Just make it snappy-I need to wash, too."

And with that, she sat down beside of the bowl and leaned her head back against the rim. The two Picori exchanged looks. Ezlo looked down at the water.

"It's _**cold**_," he protested.

"Not really," Brittany said, still staring up at the clouds. "Most of it is pumped in from a nearby hot spring. There's some other springs that run into it, so it's a little chilly, but not so much as jumping into the lake or anything. And," the sage opened his mouth to insult her again, "I am not going to go heat it up. I don't know how much longer we have until Link and Zelda are ready to go."

Ezlo snapped his mouth shut and glowered at her. He turned back to a smirking Vaati, who merely shrugged. For once, Ezlo had actually lost a battle. He groaned and decided he'd focus on making her pay later. He and the mage stripped off their robes and tossed them down on the rag below. He watched Vaati raise a chunk of soap over his head and leap into the bowl with a wild yelp. Ezlo just shook his head and carefully climbed down the rag. Vaati swam back over to the tip of the cloth and pulled himself onto the floating fabric just as his teacher finished his descent.

"Damn cold water...that witch wants me to freeze!"

Vaati scrubbed his soap onto the fabric to work up a lather. "Aww, don't complain. You're lucky she's being so nice after you broke that staff over her head last night."

Ezlo looked up at the girl. She was still just staring at the sky with a serene smile on her face.

"Master Ezlo?"

"Hmm?" the old sage turned to his apprentice, who now had a thick layer suds caked onto his purple hair.

"I know I'm not that good, but do you think you could teach me some more healing spells?"

Ezlo ran the cloth over his face. "If you are thinking of trying to heal the girl," he said, lowering his voice, "then stop. A matter of the heart cannot be solved with a simple charm, Vaati. You of all people should know that."

The mage frowned. "I know, but..."

"But what? No magic in the world can heal the heart of someone who refuses help."

"Ezlo, just look at her!" Vaati pointed up at the maiden. "Brittany didn't ask for those fits! How can you say she doesn't want help?"

His teacher sighed. "Vaati...there are just some things that you do not yet understand. Your own heart, though you refuse to admit it, still carries with it the guilt of harming the Hylians. Until you learn to forgive yourself as Link, the princess and I have, you cannot hope to heal the heart of another. If you came along merely to redeem yourself by fixing Brittany," warned the sage, "then I suggest you return to the treehouse."

Vaati turned from his teacher. Even though Ezlo had lived far longer than he had, the imp could not accept that he was so knowledgeable about the heart. His teacher may have been a great wizard but he was a fool if he thought Vaati was going to give up so easily. Living as the old sage's apprentice for so long had caused Vaati to become just as stubborn as Ezlo, and he wasn't afraid to show it now. Brittany was his friend. If her heart was causing those fits, then his own heart would not rest until hers was mended.

He finished scrubbing himself down and dunked himself under the water. After a quick swim, he scaled the rag and slipped down the other side to dry himself off. Ezlo joined him not long after. The Picori sage shouted up at Brittany once they were done, so she picked up the bowl and made preparations for her own bath. The two imps sat down at the base of the tub while the girl washed herself inside of it. She quickly scrubbed herself down with the soap, doused a few bowlfuls of water over her head, then nabbed the towel and hopped out.

"You finished yet, girl?" hollered Ezlo.

"Yeah, don't I look it?"

The two Minish glanced up to see the young woman walking around the side of the tub. Brittany had chosen to don the clothes of her previous realm. They were quite different from the anything either sprite had ever seen. In place of the low-cut blouse was a tunic with elbow-length sleeves, which ended just below her ample hips. Accompanying her strangely cropped tunic was a pair long, dark green baggy pants that must have been at least several sizes bigger than her legs. Jutting out just below her pants was a pair of odd white shoes streaked with dried mud. Her dark brown hair hung down in ringlets over her shoulders, leaving small wet spots on her black tunic. Her performance clothes were tucked under one arm and a large orange-and-charcoal gray coat was tied just below her breasts. One of Malon's white and orange bandannas was pulled over her hair. The only bit of jewelry that remained was a tiny pair of charcoal gray skulls with tiny red, white, and black plaid bows attached to their craniums.

Brittany lowered her hand to the two Picori. "C'mon," she smiled serenely, "let's go meet back up with Moosh."

The imps climbed onto her hand, which she raised to her left shoulder. They hopped off onto her short tunic, then took hold off the fabric as she headed out of the bathhouse. All the duo could do was ponder what happened to the bubbly dancer they had met earlier and why she had been replaced with this darker, calmer maiden.


	29. Vaati the Wind Mage

**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE**

**"**_Vaati the Wind Mage_**"**

Link, Impa, and Zelda (whom was barely recognizable due to of her lack of noble attire) were fully packed and waiting in front of the farmhouse by the time Brittany and the Picori guides showed up. Din and Nayru stood nearby with Malon and the ranchers. Brittany gave a little wave as she drew nearer.

"Here she comes!" Din called out. "Hey, Brittany!"

"'Hoy!" shouted the Empath. "So...you three ready to go?"

Her companions nodded. The girl noticed Link and Zelda glance over at her shoulder. From the corner of her eye, she could see Vaati waving at the two Hylians. She grinned.

"Hey, Brit," Link hollered, "THINK FAST!"

She looked up just in time to see the hero toss something to her. Whatever it was nearly hit the ground before she could scoop her arms around it. Looking down at her quarry, she saw that she had caught a sword. The length of the blade was covered in a simple black scabbard made of thick, braided animal hide. A long leather shoulder strap was loosely wrapped around it.

"That'll be your blade," the hero added. "It's bit heavier than what I'd originally hoped to give you, but it was the last sword we had left since the festival. Take good care of it."

Brittany's eyes fell to the hilt. A plain tempered steel bar was its crossguard, with a flat thong of hide matching her shoulder strap laced up to the pommel. She drew the sword from the scabbard.

"Not the most ideal blade for a swordswoman, but it should do until you can find a better weapon."

_Swordswoman...I like the sound of that!_ thought Brittany. Her brow knitted into an intense, confidant stare as she tightened her grip around the sword. Taking a fighting stance, she swept the blade up and cut an arc through air. The blade whistled as the girl whipped it downward.

Of course, her excitement had caused her to forget the Minish on her shoulder. Ezlo's screaming brought her back to reality.

"Oops...sorry, man."

"Why are you apologizing, Brittany? Every swordsman just itches to try out their first sword," Link said. She saw him give a slight nod in the direction of her left shoulder, meaning she should keep quiet about the imps for now. Brittany nodded and slipped the sword back into its scabbard, then unfurled the shoulder strap and placed it over her right shoulder.

"I thought you were right-handed, Brittany," Talon spoke up. "I may not be a knight, but I do know you are gonna have a hard time drawing your blade when it's on the same side as your sword-hand."

The brunette froze. Had the rancher spotted the Minish? The first thing that ran through her mind was Vaati being discovered. Her blood ran cold in her veins at her new friend's impending danger.

_Wait...no one knows that Vaati was one of the Picori except for us,_ she glanced around at her small group. Brittany forced herself to calm down and think.

"Well, actually, I'm ambidextrous!" the words flowed from her mouth with steady confidence. "I thought I'd learn to use the sword with my left hand first."

It was not a TOTAL lie. Brittany knew the advantage to being a lefty had in fencing combat. Being the unassuming man he was, Talon fell for her excuse. She let out a tiny sigh of relief. Zelda handed her a small hip pack, which she pulled on beneath her coat. Impa helped the princess onto the one of the two horses they brought before climbing onto the other one herself. Link and Brittany chose to walk.

As they neared the gate, Malon stopped Link.

"Here...a parting gift from me!" the redhead pushed a small package wrapped in her trademark red bandanna into the knight's hand. He unwrapped the cloth to find the fanged turtle medallion the rancher always wore. "It belonged to my mother. It's brought me good luck every time I have worn it. I mean, I was wearing it on the day I met you, so that should be proof enough!"

Link stared at the gift in his hand. "But, this is your most prized possession..." he offered it back to her. "I can't accept this."

Malon merely pushed his hand away. "Yes, you can. It may have been my prized possession a long time ago, but the most valuable thing to me right now is that you bring everyone back safe," the maiden lightly closed her fingers over those of the hero. "You'll come back to me safe, too...right Link? Promise me you will."

Link smiled. "Don't worry about us, Malon. In fact, we may just pick up a couple of people on the way and bring them back safe, too!"

"Oh, you silly!" the rancher playfully slapped his shoulder, eliciting a laugh from Link and a small grunt of disapproval from Zelda. Brittany watched the little one-sided courtship and shook her head. Link was still far too dense to realize that either girl had feelings for him. He folded the cloth back over the medallion and tuck it into one of the small pouches on his shoulder strap-much to the disdain of Milo, who said nothing but looked off to the side-before they headed out.

"Please find our baby sister!" Din shouted. "And tell her we're sorry!"

"I'll pray for your safe journey," called Nayru.

"Remember your promise to me, Link!"

"Come back with lots more of those great adventure tales, kids!"

"Don't get killed..." huffed the scorned workhand, which in Milo language meant 'but I never said anything about not getting lost'.

The ranchers and the oracles all waved farewell to them as they headed off down the road to begin their new adventure.

The journey was a bit slow-going at first. However, by late afternoon, Moosh had already led the small party through Tribly Highlands and part of the way through a plateau that Brittany did not recognize. Her stomach churned a bit at the thought of heading into unknown territory. Not that she wasn't excited-quite the contrary, for she was enjoying what a peaceful start they had. But she knew that peace was not going to last, and that is what nagged at her.

The Earthling felt a tug on her hair. "Hey, Brittany...is something wrong?" She looked down to see a concerned purple-haired Picori staring up at her. "You got so quiet all of a sudden."

"I'm fine, Vaati," she said, "it's just...well, it's the idea that I'm really doing it...I'm really going on an adventure! It...It's something that I've dreamt about ever since I was a little girl. To wear a sword...to go rescue someone...to take Fate into my own hands rather than stay in my room under Mother's watchful eye."

"Then should you not be happy now?" asked the tiny mage.

"Yes...but it worries me, too. I mean, an adventure means monsters and accursed dungeons and all sorts of other dangers. I'm not afraid for my own life, since I should've been dead now, anyway. But I fear for our group. What if I'm not strong enough to protect everyone? What if I get in the way? What if-"

"Stop right here, miss."

The pair turned to Ezlo.

"Master? What is it?" Vaati queried.

"Vaati," the sage turned to the mage, "I spotted an entrance just over there. Do you think now would be a good time...?"

Brittany looked over toward the edge of the path. A huge stone with a flat top lay along the roadside. There was a long, jagged crack that stretched up from the base, which ended in a hole on top of the rock. The imp on her shoulder gave another tug on her hair and pointed toward the rock.

"Brittany! Please, can you take us over there?"

"Um, sure..."

The girl walked over and put her hand up to her shoulder. After the Minish hopped into her palm, she lowered it to the base of the boulder for them to jump off. Link noticed that the girl had halted, so he asked the women to stop the horses.

"We're going to transform while we have the chance," Ezlo said to the young woman. "Tell Link to get our stuff off of the horses."

Brittany nodded. "Hey, Link! Ezlo says-"

"Way ahead of you, Brit," said the hero as he unhooked a covered bundle from one of the horses.

"Right then...I'll go first," the sage turned and entered the crevice. Moments later, Brittany could hear strange chanting-much like Din did when she used the stump to shrink everyone-coming from inside the boulder. A bright light flashed, and wind whistled up through the crack. Not long after, a small, glowing blob shot forth from the hole. The figure continued to grow in size until it was barely over a foot tall. Once the glowing faded, the blob had turned back into Ezlo-still the same Picori sage, only about a foot tall this time.

"Get me offa this thing, wench!" Ezlo shouted. Brittany frowned. She pinched the rucksack on his back and hauled the enlarged Minish up into the air. "Not like that, you twit!"

"You just said to 'get you offa' the rock," she mocked him, "so I 'got you offa' it!"

Ezlo growled. "Okay, it's my turn now!" Vaati called up to them. The second Picori entered the rock and sang the same chant as his teacher had. However, Vaati's transformation was much different. Instead of the tiny gust of wind that Ezlo had produced, wind whipped up in a torrent around the rock. In place of a small flash, a small sun's worth of light seemed to pour out from the crevice until it seemed as though the very radiance would burst the stone from the inside out. Brittany brought an arm up to shield her eyes as she instinctively took a step back.

As light flowed out from the opening, another tiny blob flew into the air. The claw-like limbs elongated into stronger, thinner arms and legs, the chubby frame into a sleek torso, and the mousy nose shrunk back into the face. Its height soon surpassed Ezlo's small girth and continued to increase in size until it towered over Brittany.

At long last, the radiance began to fade. With her head still lowered away from the scene, Brittany slowly opened one eye. Once she had tested her sight against the light, she opened the other eye and lowered her arm.

"Did it work?" Ezlo said as he uncovered his own beady orbs.

Suddenly, a strange voice spoke.

"You tell me."

Brittany's head shot up only to be confronted with the shock of her life. Instead of a gigantic Picori, an oddly pale youth stood on the entrance. A long violet tunic garbed the elegantly muscled body, with a pair of red, puffy knee-length shorts covering his legs. Sandal thongs were laced up the shapely calves. A thick belt with an ornamental clasp was bound around his waist, and an indigo cap similar to Link's completed the ensemble. Lavender hair fell down to his mid-back, with two long parts falling in front of his shoulders and a large mop of bangs covering its right eye. Two pointed ears jutted out from the sides of his head-the signature trademark of a Hylian.

The Empath looked up at the mysterious stranger's face. The enigma had high cheekbones that visibly stuck out through the flesh, a jaw line that ended in a delicately chiseled point, and a nearly flawless complexion-with the exception of a small triangular scar below the left eye. Gentle lips curled into a wry smirk as a deep-set eye opened. The dark blot of a pupil swam in an iris of ruby. The eye gazed down at the young woman holding his Minish teacher.

"V-V-Vaati...?" Brittany stuttered.

"No, Minister Pothos..." the man stepped down from the rock, causing Brittany to jump back. He frowned and reached out a hand toward her face. "Brittany, you silly girl-of course it's me!"

_Oh, good Lord-he's gorgeous!_ thought the girl as she looked the youth over. _It's a good thing he transformed outside of Hyrule...criminal or not, every girl and half the guys would be fawning over him!_ She felt a slight blush creep over her face.

"Do I really look so different to you?" asked the mage. His fingers brushed her cheek as he took a lock of her hair in hand. Giving the strands a small tug, he leaned in closer to the maiden.

Impa gave a small cough. "Link, don't you think you should give the boy his weapon now?" came her agitated grunt.

"Oh...yeah," Link walked over and held up the bundle for Vaati to see. "Hey, Vaati...this is what you wanted, right?"

The mage let the lock fall back to Brittany's shoulder as he took the bundle from Link. He sat everything down on the ground and began to take out the items inside. The sword, rather than being connected to a shoulder strap, was soon tied to the belt over his left hip. The fabric it was wrapped in he loosely tied around his neck. The hooded cloak fell over his shoulders in an indigo cascade, making his flesh seem eerily pale against the sharp contrast of the dark cloth.

Brittany's wits soon came back to her when Ezlo started ranting. "Great, you're BIG! Now, get this hussy to let me go! I'm a powerful sage, not a doll!"

The girl's eye began to twitch. Half growling a sigh, the girl lifted the Picori and placed him into Vaati's hands. "He's YOUR teacher," she groaned. "YOU deal with him!"

Before anyone could say another word, the girl stomped off ahead of them, with Moosh and the horsewomen following suit. Vaati stood there, his teacher in his hand, watching them go. Link looked over at the new Hylian, shrugged, then walked off to join the remainder of the group.

"What happened? Did I do something wrong?" he said.

Ezlo huffed. "How should I know? I'm not human! Glad I'm not! Now," he finished his rant, "let's hurry before they leave us behind!"

With a sigh, Vaati lifted the sage onto his shoulder and they headed off after the small group.


	30. Late Night Lessons

**CHAPTER THIRTY**

**"**_Late-Night Lessons_**"**

Brittany stomped off so fast that both horses had to break into a gallop just to keep up with her. Not that she was paying much attention-she was too busy having a mental argument with herself.

_Why the hell did I __**BLUSH**__ like that? God,_ screamed her mind, _you'd think I was a twelve-year-old with the way I was acting. He's Vaati-you remember? Little mousy imp dude? C'mon, stop being such a wimp about this! I mean, sheesh...just calm down...calm down...it was just an involuntary bodily reaction! It didn't mean anything! Stop being such a dork!_

"Miss Brittany!" shouted Impa. "Miss Brittany, please slow down!"

The girl growled under her breath but continued at her pace. Soon, Impa and Zelda's horses pulled up along each side of her. She refused to look up until her blush was gone.

"Miss Brittany, are you sure we should be taking Vaati along with us? I mean," the concerned nursemaid said, "he DID try to take over Hyrule once."

"Impa, you know Vaati has changed," Zelda chided her servant.

"Yes, but..." Impa gave a glance backward. The mage and Link were quite a distance behind, but she still lowered her voice to a whisper. "But even if he doesn't have that cap, he's got the looks to put any girl under his spell! You saw what he was doing to Brittany-"

"He was NOT doing ANYTHING to me!"

The Hylian women looked down at their flustered companion. "Then why did you run off, miss?"

"Look..." she threw her arms out in halting gesture. "He just freaked me out, okay? If you had some strange guy just pop up outta nowhere in front of you, you'd be startled, too! You gotta remember that just because I know about Hyrule and some of the creatures that live here doesn't mean I expected how his transformation was going to come out," she made a grab at her hair in frustration. "I thought he was gonna just enlarge like Ezlo-not become a whole different species!"

"But you knew he was once an evil wizard," Zelda reminded the girl.

"Yes, but I thought the cap caused that! Why is he Hylian and his teacher isn't? That doesn't make any sense! And why," she glared up at Impa, "are you not the least surprised? You couldn't even _see_ the Picori yesterday!"

Impa cast a glance back. "Well, I see that guy just fine! But he's the only one I can see."

Brittany looked around and saw the now foot-tall Ezlo sitting peacefully on Vaati's shoulder. If she still couldn't see him by now, there was a good chance that no one else could, either. At least his greater size wasn't going to get in the way...so long as his adversaries were non-magical adults. But it still didn't make any sense why Vaati could become a Hylian and his more powerful teacher could not. For now, it remained an unsolved mystery.

They journeyed across the plateau as long as they possibly could. Eventually, the sun began to set and they were forced to make camp. They found a small clearing and began getting ready for the coming night. While the Hylians sat about making the space comfortable, Brittany volunteered to collect firewood. In reality, she just wanted to gather composure together before she faced the mage again.

The trees may have been a bit shorter because of the flatter land, but the forest was still thick and dark. Except for the occasional hunting range in her old realm, Brittany had rarely seen a forest so dark. The sun only barely penetrated the trees as the darkness began to creep in, so she was forced to take Vaati with her in order to see. For the longest time, not a word was exchanged between the companions. Vaati seemed content to just hold his palm-flame aloft while she gathered the scattered branches, so she did not feel the need to explain herself immediately. However, as time drew on, she could feel an awkward tension building in the air around him-a tension named Ezlo.

"If you two don't make any more noise than this, you'll stumble onto some wild beast that will devour me...ur, I mean us, whole!"

Brittany rolled her eyes. "Ezlo, if you were so worried about being eaten," grunted the girl, "then why didn't you stay back at camp with the others?"

The old Picori huffed. "Pah! As if you two could defend yourselves without me," he crossed his arms and gave an smug nod.

"Master, I assure you I am quite capable enough with a sword to defend us even if my magic were to fail me..."

"Excuse me!" the mage and imp turned toward Brittany. The maiden had the bundle of sticks tucked under one arm with the fist of her opposite hand ground into her hip. Her brow was narrowed into a scowl. "I can take care of myself without either of you tagging along! Heck, I would have done this job on my own if I had torch!"

Ezlo just scoffed at the remark, but Vaati looked hurt. He bit his lower lip and averted his gaze. Brittany could tell that she had made a big mistake opening her mouth-most of the group knew about her overly blunt nature, but Vaati had not been around her long enough to become accustomed to it. Plus, once she remembered how shy he was as an imp, she began to regret saying anything. She walked over and gave him a light pat on the arm.

"Hey, I think we've got enough starter wood for a fire...why don't we head back?"

He nodded, but Vaati kept his line of sight separate from the girl's. They headed back through the woods until they reached the glen where the others were staying. Link had already brought in some larger chunks of wood and formed them into a small pile while Impa built a rock barrier around the soon-to-be fire pit. Zelda, in the mean time, was brushing the now-unloaded horses and Moosh had wandered off into the forest somewhere to find his own dinner.

Brittany walked over and laid her bundle next to Link's. Within moments, Vaati had a roaring fire going and Impa had pulled a pan and two small packages from one of the saddlebags. She pulled out a loaf of bread and a thick wheel of cheese, cut part of each into thin slices, then fried up a bunch of toasted cheese sandwiches for the group's supper. Meanwhile, Brittany helped Link bring in some fallen logs and place them around the fire for makeshift seats. Once that chore was done, the Earthling busied herself with detaching everyone's sleeping bags from the rest of the cargo while the her friends chatted-stalling in any way she could to keep from talking to Vaati.

Finally, she ran out of excuses. While she was laying out the sleeping bags in various areas around the campsite, her absence was noticed.

"Brittany," Link waved from his seat, "leave those ol' sleeping bags alone and come join us!"

"Nah, I think I'll just finish up here-"

"Miss Brittany, get over here!" the girl looked over to see a flustered Impa sitting by the fire, one hand on her hip and the other holding a frying pan. "You've gotta eat if you want to have energy for the trip tomorrow."

Brittany mumbled under her breath but complied. Hesitantly, she relinquished her grip on the sleeping bag she was holding and headed over to the small group. She stepped around the log Link and Zelda were sitting on and knelt next to Impa, who promptly shoved the pan under her nose. Brittany dug out a sandwich and stood, looking for a place to sit. Vaati waved to her.

"You can sit by me if you want," the lavender-haired man offered. Not wanting to seem rude, she took in a deep breath and plopped down on the log beside of Vaati.

"Nice of you to finally join us, kid," Ezlo piped up. He was no longer on the mage's shoulder, but sitting between him and Brittany. Impa passed the pan to Vaati, who drew out two of the sandwiches. The mage pulled the crusts off one and tore the rest of the sandwich into quarters, then passed a piece to his teacher. The sage greedily began to nibble up the bread, much to the surprise of Impa. The sight of bread floating in mid-air with chunks being bitten out of it so startled the poor nursemaid that she over-extended her arm into the fire and nearly burned her hand. The empty pan fell from her hand with a _clatter!_ to the coals below.

"A...A ghost!" gasped the rotund woman. Everyone looked over to Ezlo, who just shrugged and continued to eat his supper. Brittany tried to hold back a chuckle at the sight.

"I suppose you think it's funny to scare your poor nurse, eh, Princess?" the woman looked over to her quarry. "Next time, warn me where that Picori of yours is _**BEFORE**_ I have a heart attack!"

Laughter sprang up from around the fire. Impa fished her pan out of the flames and cooked up another round of sandwiches. After everyone had eaten their fill, they had to decide who was going to take watch first. Brittany immediately volunteered.

"Okay, just wake one of us when you get too sleepy," Link said. "And don't force yourself to stay up all night. It's going to be a long day tomorrow."

"You mind if I keep watch with you, Brittany?" Vaati asked. "I'm not very sleepy at the moment, either."

She gulped nervously but nodded. Everyone else headed off to their respective sleeping bags (Ezlo took Vaati's) and settled down for the night-leaving the Empath and mage to sit by one another in silence. Once she could hear soft snoring coming from her friends (and one large snort from the slumbering Moosh, who had wandered back into camp without her realizing it), Brittany felt that it was a good time to speak.

"Hey, Vaati..." she looked over at the youth. The shadows created by the flames danced on his face, illuminating his unearthly pale skin and making him glow with an ethereal luminance.

"Hmm?"

"About what I said before, in the woods...I didn't mean to be rude."

"Oh, that's alright," a smirk played on his lips. "I was being self-centered. I never meant to question your skill."

Brittany glanced down at the fire. "Well, actually...you were half-right," she saw Vaati raise an eyebrow out of the corner of her eye. She stirred a few of the loose coals with a stick she had found. "I'm armed with a sword but with no clue how to use it. I wanted Link to teach me, but Moosh showed up before I ever got the chance."

Silence fell over the camp again. Finally, the mage spoke.

"Would you like me to teach you?" Brittany looked up at her friend, who smirked at her. "I may not be a knight like Link is, but I am adequately skilled in the martial arts."

"Really? When would you like to start?"

Vaati stood from his seat. "How about right now?" Brittany gave him a quizzical look.

"Be serious, Vaati-"

"I _am_ serious. Look," he waved toward the sleeping bags, "everyone is out of it right now. We shouldn't wake anyone so long as we're quiet."

"Well...okay! I'll take you up on that offer."

The mage extended a hand to the young woman, which she grabbed onto, and helped her to her feet. Brittany gazed up at the Picori-turned-Hylian. His ruby orbs looked as though they were two pools of liquid flame rather than a pair of eyes, and his skin still cast an eerie glow in the firelight. A shiver ran up her spine. She quickly averted her gaze and released her grip on the mage's hand.

Vaati nervously scratched the base of his cap. "So...shall we get started?" Brittany gave a quick nod. "Alright then...draw your sword."

The young woman reached over her shoulder and pulled the blade from its scabbard. Vaati, too, drew his weapon. He looked down at the hand in which she held her sword and shook his head.

"Nuh-uh. Wrong hand." Brittany glanced down at her blade, then gave Vaati a bewildered look. "You may need to learn left-handed combat eventually, but right now you need to get the basics down. Training will go faster if you use your right hand."

"Why? All hands are the same..."

The mage grunted. "You can learn left-handed swordsmanship from Link. However, while you practice with me," he smirked, "you will begin with your dominant hand."

"But I really am ambidextrous...to a point!" protested the young woman. Vaati narrowed his brow.

"I am a righty-therefore, you shall learn right-handed combat from me," he said.

Brittany sighed-there was no arguing with someone who trained under Ezlo. Besides, Vaati was offering her a sword-fighting lesson! Even though she was still mentally freaking over her blush from earlier, acquiring skill with her weapon was vital before she ran into any monsters. And she was itching to try out her new blade...

"I wouldn't ask this of you if you were normally left-handed, but since you aren't...I'm going to make you start with your right one. If you want this practice to go as fast and efficiently as possible, I shall need no fuss. Take my advice and follow my lead. If I tell you to do something, you'll need to do it. Got it?"

Brittany raised an eyebrow at her companion. He had gone from timid, panicky Minish to giving _her_ commands! Amazing what a few extra meters did for his confidence.

"You still argue too much."

Vaati smirked and told her to take a fighting stance. Since she didn't know much about sword-fighting stances, Brittany just drew on her knowledge from her old karate class and borrowed one of its stances. She moved her legs shoulder-width apart, then took a step back with her right leg and bent her knees slightly. She grasped the sword in both hands and, making sure not to lock her elbows, lowered the weapon in front of her with the blade extended at an angle away from her face. The mage looked her over and nodded.

"Not bad...not bad. Don't tense your shoulders so much, though, and keep your weight distributed evenly on both feet. If you lean too much on your back leg like you're doing now," he pointed with his sword, "an enemy can easily knock you off balance."

"What's wrong with my stance?" she looked down at her legs. "It looks just fine to me!"

"Oh, yeah?" Before she knew what was happening, the purple-haired Hylian had darted forward and swept his leg around her left one, jerked the girl out of her stance, and pushed Brittany to the ground. She muttered a curse under her breath and jumped up.

"What the hell was that for?" she barked.

"Shhhh! Not so loud!" the mage put a finger to his lips. "You want to wake everyone up?"

"No," she answered in a quieter tone, all the while rubbing the hip that slammed into the ground, "I want to know why you knocked me over!"

Her new teacher smirked. "You asked a question, you got an answer," came his smug reply. "Your front leg was weaker because you were unbalanced."

"No, my front leg is weaker because, until a few days ago, the ligaments in it were screwed all to hell."

"Huh?"

"I popped it out of place sometime last year, then once more when my mother-"

The girl stopped. She had about blurted out the calamity that nearly cost her life. She didn't know if she was ready to tell Vaati yet. It had been hard enough explaining to Link and Zelda, but to tell him-

"When you ran from your mother..." Vaati spoke, his voice much more somber and deep. His tone was softer, too, and his eyes seemed cooler with a genuine sadness. Brittany looked up in surprise, but he held up a hand. "You don't need to explain. Link told me."

She was silent for a moment. Grief caused a knot to form in her throat, making it difficult for her to speak-or, at least, speak without her voice cracking. The girl lowered her gaze to the grass at her feet.

"He did, did he?" She heard a grunt of acknowledgement come from the Hylian.

I'm sorry," he said, his own voice breaking. "I cannot imagine someone doing that to her own child. I never knew my parents, but they obviously cared enough to leave me in good hands. It's just...it's just unfathomable that she could do that! Why on earth would she want to..."

Even though she was not facing him, Brittany could hear the pain in his voice-feel his body trembling with anger that boiled up from around him. Brittany looked down at her blade. The reflection of the flames danced along the polished metal. Eventually, she knew she would have to explain her past to someone. And so far, Vaati appeared to be the best candidate. He knew what it was like to be the bane of everyone's existence, to feel the stigma of shame and have to live with the guilt of never being able to change what never should have happened. In a way, he was a lot like herself. She looked back up into his ruby eyes and found comfort there.

_Yes, _she thought,_ his heart has been scarred like my own. Both of us bitter...both of us seeking to make amends for our past crimes. I wonder...did he come on this journey as a chance to redeem himself, too?_

She took a step forward, a sad smile tugging at her lips. The blade in her hand lowered, and his did the same. Vaati was trembling.

"Why are you shaking?" Brittany asked, raising her hand to the mage's forehead. "Are you ill?"

Vaati gazed down at her. "No...It's because I don't understand why any mother would want to kill her own child...especially someone as...caring as you are. Someone who was willing to give this monster a second chance."

"You're no more a monster than I am," the girl crooned. The mage's hands wrapped around her own. His flame-colored eyes stared down into her warm hazel ones. "In a twisted sort of way, I'm glad it happened. If Mother hadn't tried to kill me, Din and Nayru never would have brought me to Hyrule."

"I'm very glad they did. And I'm glad you're my friend, Brittany," He gave her little hand a squeeze. "Um...Brittany?"

The youth leaned in closer. Her stomach started to do flops from the odd jumble of emotions that bombarded the air. She couldn't make any of the feelings out, so she started to panic. Her lungs seemed to be squeezed of air as her heart thudded against the walls of her chest. His face came closer to her own until it was inches, then a few centimeters from her own. She tried to speak but she could not recall any words. Finally, her eyes began to close and she waited...

"You have some bread crumbs on your face," Vaati said. Brittany lifted a hand to her face and started scrubbing. The mage shook his head. "No...here, allow me."

The violet-haired Hylian pulled the end of his cloak up and swabbed the corner of the young woman's lips.

"There...all done," smirked the mage. Brittany put a hand to where he had rubbed.

"Oh..." she said, a slight tone of disappointment in her voice. "Th-thank you, Vaati." The mage cocked his head to the side and softly giggled. Brittany noticed that, though his body was now that of a tall, lanky Hylian, his laugh had barely changed. It may not have been filled with Minish squeaking, but it was still a strange, abnormally high-pitched giggle. A small smile crossed her lips at the thought. He was still the same, sweet imp she had helped wash dishes.

The duo was suddenly jerked apart by a strange rustle coming from up the path. The mage pushed an arm out in front of the maiden and raised his sword.

"What's that noise?" Brittany asked. "It can't be Moosh...he got back ages ago!"

Vaati's face deepened into a scowl, and his arm still stretched out defensively in front of the girl. "I don't know, but it could be a monster. With Farore having been taken prisoner, her captors probably suspect that someone will come after her. Quickly...wake the others, but be quiet about it. Make haste!"

The maiden nodded and the pair silently crept over the campsite. Brittany saw Vaati wake Ezlo, whisper something to the imp, then place his teacher on his shoulder. She quickly followed suit, waking Zelda and Impa while the mage roused Link. Within moments, a few anxious glances were exchanged and weapons readied. Link, Vaati, and Brittany circled out in front, followed by Zelda with her bow and the strong-woman nurse in behind. The tiny group moved away from the clearing and took cover behind some nearby trees.

Soon, the Empath could hear the light crunching of dirt and pebbles up the path drawing closer. Horror washed over her face as she realized that no one had bothered to wake Moosh. If a monster attacked, he and the horses would be as vulnerable as sitting ducks! She went to rouse him but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. Vaati, too, had noticed their mistake.

"I've got to go wake him!" she whispered. "He could be killed if I don't!"

"You need to stay put. Running out blindly like that will only give away our position and put yourself in danger! He has a better chance of surviving if we ambush whatever this thing is first."

Giving a last sorrowful glance back at the animals, she could feel another knot build in her throat. "Forgive me..." she murmured barely above a whisper. Murmuring a soft prayer, she pressed her back against the tree. Her hands tightened around the handle of her sword with such fierce intensity that her knuckles turned white. Whatever was coming, it was not going to get her friends-not if she could help it.

The scratch of the dirt grew closer and closer until it the noise practically screamed in her ears. A dark figure strode into view but the brush along the roadside and the nearly moonless night masked the creature from identification. Brittany sent up a final prayer as she waited for Link's signal. Finally, when the shadow was no more than a few feet away, Link gave an abrupt wave of his hand and the swordsmen leapt out, ushering battle cries as they darted through the brush. Impa was on their heels, with Zelda holding her bow poised to deliver a fatal blow.

Within moments, a terrifying screech echoed through the forest and all was quiet.


	31. Altair & Taytl

**CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE**

**"**_Altair and Taytl_**"**

One minute, Brittany was in the brush waiting to attack some monster-the next, she's watching Zelda bandage Link's head while Impa was blessing out Vaati and her for bringing along their little 'pets'. As it turned out, the monster everyone ran out to surround was actually not a monster at all, but rather a horse-the horse she saved from being stolen. And not just the horse, either...Taytl had wanted to come along, but Vaati had 'forgotten' to wake her up before they left. She had gone to Lon Lon Ranch after them, but he had already left. Unfortunately, she decided to enlist the help of the horse (apparently, the horse had talked to Moosh, who told him what was going on) by pushing the latch pin out of his stall door and following the beast.

When the group had leapt out at them, the horse had reared back, nearly trampled Zelda, and knocked Taytl-who then attacked Link-off his head. It wasn't until Brittany recognized the horse and Vaati calmed the bird that everyone figured out what was going on.

"I was so worried about you, Vaati-chu!" cooed the bird, who had plopped down in his cupped hands. "But look at you now! You look just like a Hylian-and a handsome one, too! Has Bri-tayroo fallen for you yet?"

Vaati went crimson. "Will you hush for five seconds, Taytl? Honestly, you've gotten us in enough trouble as is..."

"Stop talking to that bird and listen to me!" shouted Impa. "What are we going to do? This horse isn't ours-he belongs to Lon Lon Ranch. We have to take him back."

"But, Impa," Zelda piped up as she finished wrapping the last strand of gauze around Link's bleeding head, "if we go back now, we'll lose another day! Farore's life may depend on how quickly we can get to her."

The nursemaid sighed. "He's not ours, Princess. We have to right to keep him here."

"I'll send a note back with Taytl about what happened," said Vaati.

"I had better write it," Brittany offered. "They'll believe me. He kept following me around on the ranch. As long as we take good care of him, I'm sure they won't mind. Besides, a good warhorse might come in handy."

"But I wanna stay with you and Bri-tayroo!" whined the bird. Vaati sighed and lifted the feathered creature to eye-level.

"Taytl, the ranchers are probably worried sick about him. I know you had good intentions, but..."

The bird pouted. "Fine! I'll take the stupid message the bald midget...then can I come back to stay with you? Please?"

Vaati agreed. Link agreed to take the next watch, so Vaati and Brittany went to get some sleep. The Earthling grabbed her sleeping bag and walked over to Moosh (who had slept through the entire episode), stripped off her weapon and coat, burrowed down in the covers, then curled up against the beast's warm flank. The horse and Taytl followed her.

"Hey, Bri-tayroo?"

"What is it, Taytl?" she groaned.

"Can I sleep over here for tonight?" the bird asked. "Ezlo threatened to hit me with his stick if he had to share his sleeping bag."

Brittany shuddered at the thought of the Picori sage's staff. "Um...sure, come on over." The bird chirped happily and flew over to Brittany's shoulder. She snuggled up in the crook of the girl's neck and pulled a lock of curly hair around her. Brittany smiled.

"Hey, Taytl?"

"Yes?"

"How come I can still understand you?"

"I don't know...I think the princess and the knight can hear me, too."

"Hmm..." Brittany looked over at the horse. Rather than stand up like the other two horses, the brawny beast decided that it was going to lay down a few feet away from the Empath. "Hey, Taytl?"

"Yes again?"

"Why did he," she nodded toward the horse, "want to come?"

"Oh, him?" the bird looked over at the young stallion. "He likes you. You saved him from that nasty Sir Verdun. He says he likes your temperament way better...and your smell, too."

"My smell?"

"Yes," she bobbed her head. "He says you smell like honey and hay-you know, sweet stuff."

Brittany gave both the bird and the horse a quizzical look. "Hey, Taytl? Just one more thing and I'll let you go to sleep."

"Sure, ask away!"

"What's his name? I feel a little stupid calling such as smart creature "that crazy horse" all of the time."

"Oh, well," she chirped, "the ranchers always called him 'Red', but he prefers his horse-born name."

"And that is..?"

"Altair, the Flyer," Taytl proudly announced. "He was named so because of his incredible speed as a foal-speed that passed onto him as an adult. His mother was on of the fastest mares that the desert people ever bred, and she was once the steed of the Gerudo Vizier."

"Oh, wow, that's..."

Suddenly, it sunk in. A word she had almost forgotten, but one that had played a big part in most every game she had played involving Hyrule. The girl's eyes widened and she nearly jumped out of her sleeping bag.

"Are you telling me the Master Breeders we are going to see are the _GERUDO?_"

"Yup!"

Brittany's heart fell to her stomach. Did the Gerudo capture Farore? No...that was impossible. The Gerudo were strong, but none of them knew magic. Well, perhaps one did-their male leader. They always had a male leader named Ganondorf who was gifted with magic and liked to screw everything up. Was _HE_ the evil Farore spoke of?

_He couldn't be..._the Empath thought. _According to the history from Farore's story, the last real Ganondorf was killed long ago._

But what about that spirit Ganon that Link defeated a few years ago in Labrynna? If the mortal one was killed after the 'Great Flood' (the 'WindWaker' version) was the same as the one from the 'Ocarina of Time', then that Ganon had to be a different one...maybe the one from one of the first games? But then why did no one seem to know about anything from then? Heck, they all thought the Great Flood was a myth! It made her brain hurt.

But she had to know what she was up against. "Taytl, I gotta ask another question..."

"Only if I get to ask you one!" protested the bird. "And you've gotta answer it, too! No beating around the bush like Vaati-chu did..."

"Fine, I'll answer it. Just tell me how much you know about the Gerudo."

The bird thought for a minute. "Well, they are said to be one of the oldest races still living since the Great Flood. They are master horse breeders and are known for their shrewd trading schemes. Also, they are dangerous fighters skilled in horseback archery, scimitars, and spears. The few that venture out of the desert are either merchants, dancers, or mercenaries. They are divided into two tribes, which lie in the Southeast and Northwest regions of the Desert Wastes. They all have bright red hair, tan skin, and small, round ears-just like yours! Are you sure you're not some albino Gerudo? You could be-they're all girls, after all."

Leave it to Taytl to give a whole history lesson in one breath. "Thanks, Taytl...that's all I needed."

"Good, because now I have a question for YOU!"

Brittany leaned her head back against the bear. "Make it quick. I've gotta get some sleep."

"No problem, Bri-tayroo!" she peeped. "I just wanted to know if Vaati-chu has kissed you yet, since you're his girlfriend and all."

The girl's face went scarlet. "He is NOT my boyfriend!"

"He's a boy and your friend, so that makes him your boyfriend! Plus, I think you interest him."

The bird's words took the girl aback. "I interest him...? How?...um, Taytl? Taytl, are you-"

The only reply she received were soft, butterfly-light breaths against her neck. The tiny bird had simply crashed after her own exciting little adventure. Brittany sighed and relaxed against the warmth of Moosh's blubbery side. She listened to the rhythmic breathing of the animals blend into the melody of the forest creatures' serenade for the longest time. Though the surrounding land was peaceful, her mind was in turmoil.

_What did Taytl mean, "I interest him"? How can I interest someone like Vaati? Is it because I come from another world, or the fact that we are both orphans now? Or is it...something else entirely...?_

The memory of how close the mage came to her face rushed back to her (boy, was she glad Taytl had fallen asleep before she could notice!). The girl tried to make sense of the whole matter. How could Vaati, the timid Picori who kept giving her weird looks all of the time, find her interesting? She shut her eyes, but the image of those ruby red orbs had burned into her brain. Eventually, however, the exhaustion of her body overcame the confusion of her mind and she drifted off to sleep.


	32. Helmaroc!

**CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO**

**"**_Helmaroc!_**"**

Brittany was awakened the next morning by footsteps crunching in the dirt. She looked up to see the princess had come to wake her. The addled brunette poked Taytl in the side until the bird stirred. Letting out a heavy yawn, the brunette stretched and stripped off the sleeping bag. She quickly donned her coat and shoulder strap before heading over to Impa and grabbing a cold hunk of bread and cheese. She pinched off some bits of the bread and fed them to Taytl, then took out a small bit of paper from her hip pack and scribbled some broken Hylian on it. She had Zelda proofread it and, upon finding the note sufficient, she took one of Altair's tail hairs and fastened the message to the bird's leg.

Taytl flew over and landed in Vaati's hands. "Take care of Bri-tayroo, Vaati-chu!" chimed the woodfinch. "When I get back, I had better hear tale of some progress!"

The mage giggled nervously. "Um...take care of yourself, too, Taytl," he said. Vaati lowered his arms for a brief moment then threw them into the air-giving the tiny bird a much-needed lift. Taytl chirped her farewell as she flew off in the direction of Hyrule. Meanwhile, everyone else finished repacking and began to follow Moosh.

Most of the day was rather uneventful, all things considered. They made only enough stops to answer calls of nature in order to keep time on their side. They ate their lunch as they passed through the last part of the plateau. The temperate, breezy land of Hyrule was soon exchanged for the hotter, more humid land of Holodrum.

By the time they neared the bee farm that Moosh had accosted a few days before, the summer sun was directly overhead. The group followed the bear around the little town and onto another path. Finally, they arrived at the area where Farore had been kidnapped.

Not that Moosh had to tell them where it was. The chunks of now dust-covered blue fur and charred grass along the roadside was a dead ringer-not to mention an enormous rut in the road where the bear had been forced back. Unfortunately, there was no trace of the kidnappers. All they could do was continue toward the Desert Wastes and hope for some sign of Farore's whereabouts along the way.

After another fruitless hour of searching, they happened upon another problem. Brittany's feet were beginning to feel the strain of the past two days' travel. Of course, she would have rather her feet have bled than admit that she was weak, but Vaati noticed when his friend's face began to pale.

"Brittany, perhaps we should rest a moment," the mage suggested as Brittany began to lag behind. "You have been going non-stop ever since morning-"

"I'm fine, thank you!" she growled. As much as she wanted to deny it, the exhaustion lilted in her voice. And the thoughts of the awkward moment she had with the former Picori the night before had worn her out to the point that she didn't even want to argue. Instead, she kept her face turned away from Vaati and hoped that he would give up and leave her alone.

...But Brittany had forgotten one tiny detail: this was _VAATI_ she was arguing with. The purple-haired youth had picked up on his master's stubbornness over the years, making him rival the girl in that aspect. Not only that, but usual semi-wicked smugness he had regained the night before had manifested itself into his over-confidence.

"No, you have been going too hard! We are going to rest, and that's that!"

"Rest if you're tired, but I'm going on-hey, leggo!"

Vaati grabbed hold of her wrist as the girl went to stomp off. Brittany tried to yank her arm free from the mage's grasp, but all of the excitement of the journey had sapped too much of her strength. The youth smirked at her feistiness.

"I shall not take 'no' for an answer, Brittany," he said, pulling her closer to him. His scarlet eyes flared with the smugness in his voice.

Brittany scowled. "And if I refuse?" Vaati's eyes narrowed, and his smirk widened into a wicked smile.

"Then I may have to take," he leaned in and whispered, "_**drastic **_measures."

Vaati released her wrist for a moment. The Earthling turned to walk off, but before she knew what was happening, something slammed into the back of her knees and knocked her off her feet. At the same time, something slipped around her mid-back and she was lifted off the ground.

"Wha...? Hey!" cried a flustered Brittany.

"If you use up all of your energy right now, then you won't have enough when you really need it."

Vaati walked toward their surprised group with Brittany kicking and shouting in his arms. "Stop! I don't wanna go with you! Put me down!"

Most of the group just stared wide-eyed at the spectacle, but there was one savior in the group. Altair, the flame-colored warhorse from Lon Lon Ranch, had taken it upon himself to follow Brittany around like a spoiled puppy. And we all know how loyal puppies get when they think their masters are threatened...

_CHOMP!_

"Hey, my cap!" Vaati shouted. Brittany stopped struggling long enough to see a chunk of indigo hanging from the horse's mouth. A flustered mage whirled around and shouted. "Go eat something else!"

The horse shook his head and snorted. He lowered his face and glared at the mage.

"You idiotic boy!" shouted Ezlo. "Can't you see he wants you to put the girl down?" Vaati glared at Ezlo and then the horse, who pawed the ground for emphasis.

"Lean down and I will." The horse looked at Brittany and shook his head. The Hylian started to get annoyed. "Look...she has to rest, so either you lean down so she can get on your back or _**I**_ will carry her!"

Altair gave an angry snort. With a dirty look toward the Hylian, the horse's legs buckled and lowered himself just enough for Vaati to push the girl onto the animal's back. Without warning, the beast shot to his feet-pulling Brittany so far away from safe ground that she had to suppress a scream in shock.

"No-no! Let me off, Altair!"

"Unless you wanna jump down and risk hurting yourself," Vaati pointed out, "I suggest that you sit still. After we've gone a little piece, if you've regained some color in your face, I'll help you back down."

"But...but I don't know how to ride a horse!" protested the girl. Vaati smiled.

"Just stay between Impa and the princess," he tugged his cap free from Altair's mouth, leaving a small hole ripped in the fabric. He groaned under his breath as he readjusted his cap, then walked ahead to join Link and Moosh. Moments later, the mounted noblewomen appeared by the girl's side. Brittany heaved a sigh. She nudged her heels into Altair's flank, sending the horse prancing into a haughty trot.

"You know I was perfectly fine on the ground!" the frustrated Empath complained aloud. Vaati, of course, just fired off another retort.

"Look," he chided the girl, "if you're going to learn how to use a sword, you need energy."

"He's right, Brit!" Link looked up at her. "I'll tell you what...if you can stay on that horse until we pass the next town, I'll give you a lesson, okay?"

"However," Vaati held up a finger, "until then, you have to sit there without complaint. Alright?"

Brittany glowered at the boys but made no protest. Vaati flashed her another slight grin before turning and heading down the path. And so they went-Moosh in front, followed by the wind mage, Link, and the three horsewomen.

Brittany grumbled under her breath when they first headed out. She wasn't used to riding. The gait of the horse kept knocking her about to the point she nearly slipped off Altair's back. More than once, Impa had to reach over and pull the girl back astride the animal before she fell off.

"Sit up and don't put so much weight forward," the nursemaid said.

Brittany tightened her grip in the horse's mane. "Easy for YOU to say-you're not riding bare-back!" she leaned back with a sigh. "Stupid Vaati...who does he think he is, telling me what to do?"

"He _does_ have a tendency to act upon impulse," Zelda mentioned, "does he not?"

"Yeah, I'm sure that whole rock thing wasn't planned out," the brunette joked, twiddling her fingers in a mock-spell toward the princess. Zelda frowned as Impa let out a chuckle. "But he seemed so...I don't know...timid, I guess. When we were back at the treehouse, he was pretty quiet."

The princess smiled. "Perhaps you brought him out of his shell, Brittany," she looked up the road as if to make sure the boys were out of earshot. "I've noticed quite a change has come over him since we left Hyrule."

"Eh, he's probably just feeling his oats now that he's all big and powerful again," huffed the girl as she straightened her glasses.

"If you ask me, I think the fellow has taken a fancy to our Lady Empath here."

"IMPA!" squeaked Brittany. She felt a slight blush creep across her cheeks. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Oh? Then how would you explain how he's been acting around you all this time?" the nursemaid put a hand on her hip and leaned toward the girl. "Hmm?"

The Empath let out a disgruntled huff. "I have no idea what you are talking about-"

"Oh, c'mon!" Zelda joined in. "What about how chummy he's gotten with you already? Or the way he stroked your hair yesterday?"

Brittany ignored the last comment. "He just needs a friend."

"Then why did he offer to keep watch with you last night, hmm? Oh, and I do believe I recall a certain violet-haired someone giving a late-night sword-fighting lesson, too."

The Empath tried to speak but all she could muster was nonsensical babble. "How...how did you...?"

"Yes, Milady," Impa questioned the maiden, "do tell."

The princess shrugged. "I heard Vaati talking to Link earlier." The nursemaid gave a quizzical glance at her charge, but Zelda merely feigned innocence. She gave a quick look over her shoulder toward the empty road. "Impa, I thought I saw a spring a few paces back. Would you go fill my canteen for me, please?"

The royal produced the small bottle and smiled at the woman. Impa raised an eyebrow at the request but, after a few more pleas from the princess, she took the canteen and spurred her horse around. The moment she was out of earshot, the blonde Hylian beamed a grin and leaned in toward Brittany.

"Very smooth, Zelda..." Brittany nodded and smirked. "Spill it, girl...what do you know?"

Zelda giggled. "Surely you didn't think that everyone fell asleep immediately, did you?" her brunette companion let out a tiny gasp. "Oh, don't deny it! I saw you two last night...how close his face was to yours!"

"He was getting crumbs off of my face, you silly goose!"

"Crumbs? Aww..." the disappointed royal pushed her lower lip out into a pout. "I thought you got a kiss..."

The Earthling's eyes nearly bugged from their sockets. "Oh, great...does everyone else in Hyrule know they have a voyeur for a princess?" Zelda started giggling louder. The joke got Brittany tickled, too, so she wound up joining in on the laughter.

"I heard that, my princess!" shouted Impa. "What's going on up there?"

The two girls continued to giggle as they turned toward the woman. As Impa climbed back onto her horse and her giggles died away, Brittany noticed that all of the forest noise had disappeared. No birds, no small critters-scarcely a sound could be heard but the scuffling of hooves against dry soil. A chill ran up her spine.

Finally, she saw something that made her blood run cold. She tugged back on Altair's mane and pulled the horse to a halt.

"Hey, Zelda," Brittany pointed down the road behind Impa, "what's that?"

The two of them looked beyond the nursemaid to see a dark shadow moving up the path. At first, it was naught but a thin line in the distance. As it drew closer, however, Brittany could see that the line extended over the path and onto the trees. The shadow zoomed closer and suddenly blanketed the road around them as it rushed past.

Suddenly, all three horses began to rear up on their hind legs. The Hylian noblewomen managed to rein in their beasts, but Brittany-being a novice rider on an unbridled, barely tame warhorse-couldn't maintain her grip on Altair's mane. She screamed as the stallion's hair slipped through her fingers.

Rather than hitting the ground, her back slammed into something that let out a grunt. She didn't have time to look at what it was, though, because she saw that Altair had turned and begun pawing at something in the air. Brittany could only watch helplessly as the horse backed up dangerously close to her.

Just as Altair went to fall, Brittany felt a pair of arms tighten around her midsection and she was jerked away. She saw the horse land hard, but the stallion quickly rolled back onto his legs and soon was up fighting the air again.

"Swords..._**NOW!**_"

Link raced by with his weapon drawn and shield ready. The arms dropped from Brittany's waist and she could hear scrambling in the dirt behind her-along with the shouts of an angry Minish sage.

"Don't just sit there, you louse!" Ezlo screeched. "Get up!"

Brittany snapped herself back into reality as she reached up to draw her weapon. She saw Vaati dart forward-his sword in one hand and spark of flame in the other-with Ezlo hurling commands from the mage's shoulder. The girl sprung to her feet and rushed after him.

She soon realized what Altair had been pawing at. An enormous bird, about the size of a large van, had swooped in and began lunging at the horses with its enormous talons. Link had barely pulled Zelda from her own horse before the creature made swiped at her horse, nearly tearing the saddle apart as it ripped a fatal gash in the steed's flank. Link yanked Zelda away as the beast collapsed, then turned with his sword at the ready. The princess stood behind the hero, her bowstring drawn taught and notched with an arrow.

On Ezlo's command, Vaati threw his fireball straight for the bird's face-sending a flurry of singed feathers into the air. The monster let out a mighty shriek, making Brittany drop her sword in order to cover her ears. She saw the Hylians recoil from the sound. The horses writhed from the ear-shattering pain and continued to buck as their attacker circled them. Finally, the feathered monstrosity noticed the Hylians on the ground and lunged.

Just as the bird closed in on the two blonde Hylians, Impa rushed forward with a large tree branch in hand. She pulled right in front of the flapping beast and started screaming like crazy, brandishing the branch like a club. The screeching monstrosity beat its wings furiously, stirring up a whirlwind of dust and debris. The cloud of dirt became so thick that soon no one among the party could see, but Impa never lightened up on her attack. With one fist wound tightly in her horse's reins, she continued to swing the branch in arcs in hope of striking the wicked bird.

Unfortunately, a blind assault has more disadvantages than it does anything. The gigantic bird, already frustrated from the burn to its head, was now furious. Without warning, it let out another ear-scattering cry and dove into the fray. Brittany heard a sickening crack as Impa's club found its mark. The creature reeled back in pain, its wings flailing about and its legs still slicing at everything in site.

"Zelda, shoot it!" she heard Link cough. "Shoot it now!"

Brittany raised her head and squinted into the dust cloud just as an arrow whistled up through the air. With as big a fit as the creature was throwing, the bird never even noticed the arrow until it was too late. It struck the monster in the left eye and lodged halfway up the shaft. Another agonized cry resounded before the beast turned and slammed full-force into the road. More dust, along with rocks and bits of grass, was kicked up as the bird floundered about on the path, knocking down small trees with its powerful taloned legs as it went.

"After it!"

Brittany bolted from her spot toward the fallen bird as Link, Impa, and Vaati raced up beside of her with Zelda trailing behind as back-up. She glanced over at Vaati as he ran past.

"What is that thing?" the girl shouted.

"A Helmaroc!" called out Vaati.

Link narrowed his eyes. "A Helmaroc? But I thought those things were just a legend!"

"Where do you think that 'Roc's feather came from?" barked Ezlo. "It came from one of the ruffled feathers atop its head."

As the group gained on the creature, they could see it raking its head along the ground trying to free the arrow from its eye. Of course, that only caused the arrow to grind deeper into the bird's eye socket. Soon, the remainder of the shaft snapped off against a boulder-but not until half of the road had been torn up and several more trees mowed down. The bird looked up at its pursuers.

"Watch out for its wing feathers!" warned Ezlo. "The quills are sharp enough to pierce armor!"

As if on cue, the creature scooted itself back against a series of larger trees and raised a wing. With a piercing battle cry, the beast sliced its wing through the air and sent a flurry of pinions straight for the group. Immediately, Brittany fell to the ground as the spear-like quills whistled toward her. She could hear the bodies of her friends throw themselves against the dirt...

...all except for one.


	33. The Wild Ride

**CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE**

**"**_The Wild Ride_**"**

Brittany swore she would never forget that sound as long as she lived.

As she threw herself to the ground to escape the Helmaroc's pinions, she had sent up a quick prayer that the others would do the same. She vaguely recalled Ezlo's warning, Link's shouts to Zelda, and the light scuffling of dirt mingled in with the monster's echoing shriek.

But what chilled her to the bone was the sound that followed. Not more than two seconds after she dropped to the ground, she heard a strangled cry followed by a gurgling noise. Whipping her head around, she looked up to find Impa still standing behind her. However, her proud, warrior-like composure was gone. Instead, the noblewoman teetered on her shaky legs, her grip slack and the branch/club dangling onto the road. Her eyes were wide with shock as she stared forward, then they moved lower. Brittany's gaze followed.

That's when she saw it. A large, sleek feather-with a pinion as long as a short sword-protruded from the nursemaid's lower abdomen. Two smaller ones had struck her left arm, another in her thigh, and a fifth had lodged in her right shoulder. Impa raised her eyes to the young woman before her, sending Brittany's heart plummeting to her stomach. The noblewoman opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Her lips trembled for a moment in mock speech before she gave a cough-sending a tiny spray of blood to mingle with the passing dust.

"_IMPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!_"

Zelda let out a horrible, sorrowful shriek as her nursemaid fell to her knees, then fell back onto the road behind. The princess, whom Link had covered during the attack, tore herself from the hero's arms and scrambled over to her fallen companion. Brittany's limbs moved on their own, sending her half-crawling to Impa's side as Zelda flung herself down by the prostrate woman. Tears were streaming down her face.

"No! Impa..." she placed a hand on the woman's head, her eyes darting to each of the quills. "Please, Goddesses, no..."

"P...Princess..." the injured woman gazed up at the Hylian royal. Zelda immediately grabbed her hand and clenched it between her own.

"Yes, Impa, I'm here!"

"...Zel...Zelda..." she choked, sending up another smatter of blood. "Be...be brave...my child...be...bra-"

The woman's eyes closed and her head rolled to the side. The moment Zelda noticed the hand she held went limp, she flew into a hysterical frenzy. The princess began screaming enough to rival the bird that took her companion down. Her tears gushed freely, with her rosy face marred by terror-white and a sadness-reddened nose. Brittany could only stare as Link came and tried to pull the young woman away, but Zelda would have none of that. She glanced up to see Vaati, his skin now nearly a translucent pale, kneeling beside of her.

"Why didn't she dodge them?" screamed Zelda. "Why..."

"She couldn't hear..." Vaati whispered. "She could not see a Minish, let alone hear Ezlo's warning..."

"NO-ho-ho-ohhh! N-no! _**NO!**_"

The princess writhed in Link's arms as she tried to get back to her friend. The hero drew her into a hug, letting the distraught young woman beat his arms and chest until she collapsed into sobs. Ezlo hung his head and Vaati lowered his gaze. Brittany looked back up at the once vibrant, bubbly nursemaid that only a few moments ago was teasing her about her new friend.

She didn't know why she did it. Really, by all accounts, it never made any sense. But, for some reason, perhaps either by impulse or instinct from her old health class, she reached up and put two fingers to the jugular vein in the neck of the fallen woman. Her eyes grew wide when she did, for barely-so faint you would not have noticed had you not been paying attention-was a _heartbeat_. Brittany's gaze shot over to the mage.

"Vaati! You're a healer, aren't you?"

He heard the urgency in her voice. "Yes, but not even Ezlo can vivify a dead woman-"

"She's not DEAD!" Brittany shouted, grabbing Vaati's hand and pulling it over to the vein. "See? She still has a pulse! It's faint, but it's there!"

The mage put his fingers to the woman's throat and he let out a gasp.

"Vaati, please...do something! Do ANYTHING!" Brittany pushed herself to her feet. "Just heal her!"

The mage watched as she sheathed her sword. "What are you going to do?" he asked, worry lilting in his voice.

"I'm-a get rid of that damned bird, once and for all! ALTAIR!"

Immediately, the warhorse came running up to her. As if he could understand the determined scowl on her face, he dropped down to the ground just as he reached her. Before Vaati or anyone else could do anything about it, she had mounted the stallion and was off down the road.

After the bird had thrown the feathers at the group and saw that it had slowed them down, it had gone back to retrieve Zelda's horse. About the time Brittany had noticed that her fallen comrade was still alive, it had latched onto the carcass with its one good leg (the other was broken and now had a toe nearly severed from Impa's attack) and took off down the road.

Now, Brittany, with her hands wound tight in the stallion's mane and her feet digging into his flank, was speeding down the dirt path after it. She had a great difficulty hanging on (Taytl had not called Altair 'the Flyer' for nothing!), but she just gripped as hard as she could with her feet and tried her best to ignore the painful jarring the she received from the ride.

The Helmaroc was fast, but the Empath's steed was faster! Brittany growled out continuous urgings for speed, which caused Altair raced even faster. Brittany soon felt as though she were riding through a small hurricane, her breath becoming more and more difficult to catch as the wind beat against her face. The landscape passed by her in a blur, and all she could do was hope that her glasses didn't bounce off during the wild ride.

Eventually, the forest ended in a great sweeping of rocky valley. The woodlands swept around the northern edge of the plains, with the land stretching up into a high mountain far off in the distance. She watched the bird struggle to rise higher as it streaked toward higher terrain.

As she rode down the bumpy terrain of the valley, crop fields began to spring up around Brittany and a small town came into view. Unfortunately, the rocky hillside made her slow Altair a bit (otherwise, he probably would have broken a leg on the steep slope). By the time she passed through several of the extensive fields, the bird had already disappeared onto the mountain above.

"Dammit!" the Earthling swore as she watched the Helmaroc become a dot on the mountain's peak. She brought a fist down hard on her thigh and let out another string of curses. There was no way she was going to let Impa's attacker get away, but how in the hell was she supposed to get up that ridge? The mountainside was covered in trees, and the top was nothing but a steep rocky slope.

Brittany gave an agonized glance back toward the forest. She hoped Vaati and Zelda could save Impa, and then maybe the others could follow the path and bring the nursemaid to the village for further help. Until then, she'd have to go it alone.

At the moment, however, she was much too pissed to care about anything but her fallen friend.

Brittany loosened her brace on Altair's flank long enough to give him a small nudge, then off they went to the town. As they passed through the last of the fields, she saw a few of the villagers come out into the roadway. Several men, a few elderly codgers, and a couple of burly women all stood at the edge of the town. Worried grimaces plastered their faces.

"Whoa, Altair!" called Brittany. The horse immediately stopped. "Excuse me," she said to the villagers, "but I'm in a hurry! What's the best way to get up to the top of that mountain?"

A small, robed man with a staff stepped forward. He was bald on top, but the hair around the back of his head and his beard trailed halfway down his torso. He kind of looked like Ezlo to Brittany-or, I should say, what Ezlo would look like as a human. He placed one hand behind his back and shook his head.

"You'll not be-a vahnting to go up zere, lass," he said in a thick, throaty accent that reminded Brittany of the Swedes back on Earth. "Eet's vere ze Helmaroc leeves."

"I don't care if it's where a _dragon_ lives!" barked the girl. "That thing," she pointed toward the mountain, "attacked my friends and me. One of my companions lies gravely wounded in the forest, and, right now, that thing's probably munching on my pal's horse! I'm gonna kill that monster if it's the last thing I do!"

One of the men-a big, dark-haired lumberjack of a man with big hairy arms-joined in. "Eef you go up zere, it _vill_ be ze last thing you'll do!"

"Look, I'm not in a mood to argue! Just tell me the way up the mountain so I can go clobber that blasted thing!"

The elder shook his head. "You'll just vind up like ze others, lass," he said. "Ve've not had a moment's peace since zat monster came to roost. Eet's taken nigh on twenty oov our good men, three oov our ladies, und my small grandson." At that, the villagers hung their heads.

"Then let me go kill it!" she demanded.

"Aye," vouched the dark-haired man, "and you'll vind up like zat desert lass..."

"Desert girl?" puzzled Brittany. "Do what now?"

"Earlier today, a little merchant girl was abducted by ze demon. Vhen ze Helmaroc came to ze village zhis morning, she grabbed onto eet vhen eet grabbed me poor grandson."

"I'm surprised that eet vould vant to feast so soon," spoke one of the women. "Eet usually stays away for a few days once eet nabs a meal."

Brittany stared at the stoical man for a moment. "Please, sir," she begged, "there might be hope for the boy, yet! Maybe he and the desert girl escaped?"

The villagers' eyes lit up and they all murmured in agreement. The old man, however, looked unmoved.

"No, I cannot allow eet," he said. "I'm afraid ze monster may have just gotten a bigger appetite..."

"It's wounded, though," Brittany said. "One of it's toes is nearly severed, and an arrow gouged out one of its eyes. Also, it has a harsh burn to the head and most of its blood is back there on the road. I'd bet'cha anything it's weak now."

Another murmur sprang up.

"True...eet VAS not flying normally...but, do you not fear for your own life?"

Brittany crossed one arm over Altair's neck and put the other on her hip. "Mister," she looked down at the old man, "if I have even a shred of a chance at killing that thing, my own life means nothing."

The elder's face remained stoic, but his hopeful eyes spoke volumes. "Very vell...ve shall send help back to your friends while you go after ze Helmaroc. Until then, please, gather vat supplies you need here. Ve our all too happy to help eef eet means ze end oov zat wretched beast."


	34. The Gerudo's Gift

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR**

**"**_The Gerudo's Gift_**"**

The villagers were true to their word-they sent out a search party moments after the elder's command. Meanwhile, she followed the old man into one of the bigger houses in the town. Brittany walked into the tavern to see several people sitting at a table near a spent fireplace. In one chair sat a man in overalls and a tall straw hat. His arms were wrapped around a dark-haired woman, who was currently crying her eyes out.

Across the table were three exotic-looking women. Each of them had deeply tanned skin, bright scarlet hair and concerned faces. Two were dressed in harem pants and choli bras-the third had a bejeweled vest and regular bra rather than a choli. Each of the women sat lotus-style, their backs rigid and weapons nearby. The older woman, the one with the vest, stared off into space with a stoic expression.

The moment Brittany walked into the room, however, all three desert women snapped their heads toward her. She gulped as their piercing eyes met her own. For a moment, the three desert women seemed to be the most fearsome women she had ever seen...until she felt the rush of emotions around them.

"Zhis young girl believes your friend ees still alive," said the old man. "Ze Helmaroc attacked her party up ze road and stole a horse. It could mean that she has escaped."

Everyone turned toward Brittany. "I'm going after it," she said.

"No one from this village has ever stood up to the Helmaroc and lived," said the vested woman, her eyes falling back to the spear she twirled in her hand. "What makes you so certain you shall be the first?"

"I'm not," admitted the Empath, "but if there's a chance, I'll not stop until one of us is dead. That monster will pay for what he did to my friends, even if it costs me my life."

The older woman stood her spear on the floor and pushed herself up, then walked over to Brittany. The girl gulped. The merchant had to be nearly six feet tall, and her hooked nose reminded her of a witch. She glared down at Brittany.

"Those are brave words coming from so small a girl," cooed the foreigner. The girl gulped as the woman began to circle her. "You don't look like a normal warrior, and you dress strangely. In truth, you resemble the village idiot more than a fighter." Brittany scowled back. "However...you appear to be very strong, and there is a strange confidence about you that baffles me. Youthful exuberance, I suppose."

Without another word, the woman returned to her seat. Brittany's gaze now turned toward the couple sitting opposite the desert dwellers. The dark-haired woman had stopped crying and was looking at the Earthling through bloodshot eyes.

"Can you really save our son?" asked the man.

"I'll do my best," sighed the young woman.

"He was so looking forward to being a big brother," the dark-haired lady put a hand to her belly. "If he doesn't come back, I-I don't know what I'll do..."

"There, there Blossom..." her husband stroked her hair.

Brittany turned to walk out of the tavern. Suddenly, the desert women's leader called out to her.

"Wait!" she called out as she walked back over to the girl. "Take this," she held out the spear to Brittany. "If that feathered monstrosity has killed one of our own, I want it to be a Gerudo blade that exacts revenge. I am not used to asking for favors, but..." the desert woman stared down at the girl as she took the spear in hand.

Brittany tightened her grip on the spear. "You have my word, ma'am. I won't fail you."

For a moment, Brittany thought she saw a sad smile tug at the merchant's lips. The girl then turned and, new weapon in tow, headed out of the tavern. The next little while she spent gathering some supplies. After acquiring a small rucksack, some rope, a bit of wool fluff, a torch, a tinderbox and a small knife, one of the men told her the swiftest way up the mountain. Then, she climbed back onto Altair and headed out of the town.

By the time Altair had trudged up the steep path that wound around the mountain, the sun had begun to set. With as hot and humid as daytime Holodrum was, dusk was quite the refreshment. Brittany shivered as a chill night wind met her towards the summit. Once she got a good two-thirds up the mountain, she left Altair and set out on foot.

The bird's trail was easy to follow. Impa's wound had caused the bird to lose quite a bit of blood. Now and then, Brittany would see a large splash of liquid crimson glimmering on the rocky slope, letting her know that she had gone the right way. Her legs ached as she climbed, and her feet screamed out for a break. Secretly, she thanked Vaati for making her ride horseback for a while-that quick break (and her claim for vengeance) was probably all that kept her going in the long run.

_Vaati..._

For some reason, her thoughts turned back to the Minish. She remembered that, when Altair had reared up and she had been knocked off, someone had caught her. It couldn't have been Link, because whomever it was still had their arms around her waist when the hero went rushing past. Not only that, but Ezlo had been screaming right in her ear a few moments later!

It was _Vaati_ whom had caught her!

She felt a twinge of guilt wriggle up through her ribcage. He could have been _**killed**_ trying to save her! Not only had the Helmaroc been poised for the attack, but Altair had nearly fallen on them both. And he'd been so protective of her the night before when he thought they were about to be ambushed...

Then it hit her. He _HAD_ saved her. He did! A one-time bad guy had saved her! Boy, what she would have given to have told her old Earthling friends THAT one!

"I owe him..." she said to herself. "I owe him BIG time."

Brittany's reverie didn't last long, however, before it started to get dark. She continued up the rocky mountainside until it got so steep that she nearly had to climb just to pull herself up. Finally, she reached a flattened ledge and pulled herself onto it. The moment she had gotten one leg onto the ground, she paused. A huge puddle of dark fluid lay not more than a few feet away. Brittany raised her eyes and saw that the ledge led back to a cave in the rockface. Carefully, Brittany eased herself onto the ledge, then took the spear in her hands.

Taking a deep breath, she raised herself up into a partial crouch. She swiped her gaze across the ledge, then behind her. Satisfied that she was alone, her eyes landed back on the puddle. A long smear of blood-about the size of a horse, she ventured a guess-led from the puddle into the cavern. Along with the smear were periodic splotches of liquid...the remnants of Impa's blow.

Suddenly, Brittany heard a scuffling from inside. She froze for a moment, still halfway hunkered down with the spear at the ready. She knew she had to act fast if she was to kill the Helmaroc while there was still some daylight. She muttered a quick prayer and, making sure to stay along the wall, crept into the cavern.

The chamber wasn't the biggest cave she'd ever been in, but it was spacious enough to hide a survivor or two. Several small recesses lined the walls, but only one seemed big enough to hide anyone. A crevice, just big enough for a man to slip through, reached from floor to ceiling at the back of the cave. Brittany crouched down behind a boulder to see if she could see better.

Unfortunately, she really wished she hadn't been able to. Bones of various sizes littered the room, and they were laced with torn clothing, fur, and trappings of various sorts. Most were picked clean, but the stench of what remained nearly knocked her down. She saw that the cave raised slightly in the middle, leaving a sunken ring around the center to fill with water. After seeing some of the blood that had leaked into the stream, she felt sick.

_At least they had some water to drink while they were up here..._Brittany thought.

She heard a slight rustle. Peeking around the edge of the boulder, Brittany saw that the Helmaroc had collapsed in a corner of the room. Even though its head was pulled under its wing, she could still smell the charred feathers from Vaati's fireball. The foot Impa attacked was caked with dirt and dried blood, but the girl spotted a darker blot that could have been fresh. Zelda's horse-or what was left of it-lay half-eaten beside of it.

The bird let out a tiny, painful chirp. If it had been any other creature, Brittany might have pitied it. Remembering Impa's quill-pierced body and Zelda's agonized cries, however, purged any sense of guilt from her veins and set her blood to boiling.

Once she was certain the bird was asleep, Brittany gave the room another quick scan. Seeing no sign of the desert girl or little boy's remains, she lifted the spear and began edging her way around the wall. Her heart thudded in her chest so loudly as she snuck around the room that she feared it might wake the monster-thankfully, the Helmaroc near stirred.

It seemed like forever before Brittany made her way around the room, but she finally managed to reach the crevice. Once she stood beside the recess' protective boulders, she froze. What if one of them had been eaten and the other wounded? And what if the injured on had just crawled into the crevice to die? She might never get the body out! Afraid of what she might find, Brittany decided that she'd best steel herself against any shock.

"Pssst..._pssst!_" she whispered loudly. "Is anybody in there?"

All was silent. The girl's heart fell. She was too late. The elder had been right-that damned bird had just gotten greedy. Brittany tightened her grip on the Gerudo's spear until her knuckles turned white. That bird was going to pay dearly for...

"Is there someone out there?"

Brittany blinked. For a moment, she thought she had imagined it. She stared into the dark crevice, wondering if perhaps her mind was playing tricks on her. After a long moment, she decided to go along with the hallucination.

"Yeah...yeah, there's someone here!" she answered. Brittany noticed movement within the darkness. Finally, after several tedious moments, the head of a young woman forced itself through the crack. Her hair was darker than the other merchants' but her tan skin was the tell-tale sign of a Gerudo.

"Is it gone?" asked the desert girl.

"No, it's sleeping," Brittany replied. "I've come here to kill it and rescue you."

"I'm a _Gerudo!_" the girl whispered loudly. "I don't _need_ saving!"

Brittany raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Then why are you hiding?"

"Because of _him..._" The young woman squeezed through the opening. Behind her came a little boy with messy black hair. Tearstains marked his dirty face. "I originally planned on coming here for treasure, but I couldn't just let the kid get eaten."

"Thank the Lord you're both alright," Brittany whispered. "Quick...you two have to get outta here-now! C'mon...before he wakes up!"

"No, _**you **_take the kid!" commanded the Gerudo. "I'm not leaving until I have my prize..."

Brittany cocked her head to the side and stared at the girl as if she was wearing a donkey's head. She'd come there for _**treasure?**_ How crazy was this kid?

"Now, hurry up and kill it so I can get my treasure!"

"Kid, this isn't a game," Brittany said. "That demon attacked my friends and nearly killed one of them! Get your ass outta here before I ram this spear up it!"

The young woman looked toward the spear in Brittany's hands. Her eyes widened. "Where did you get that?"

"One of the Gerudo ladies gave it to me...she wore a vest."

The desert girl went silent. She looked over toward the Helmaroc, then back at Brittany. "If you have that, then that means they trust you," she announced. "Strange...most of us don't trust outsiders. The person who gave you that must have sensed something special about you." She looked back at the bird. "So...Little Heroine...how do you suppose we kill that thing?"

"Well, it's weak from-hey, wait a minute! Who said YOU were going to help kill it?"

"Because," the girl gently pulled the spear from Brittany's hands, "I know it's vulnerable points. But shouldn't we get the kid outta here first?"

"Right...c'mon, little one," said Brittany. The child hesitated at first, but he soon trotted over to Brittany. Unfortunately, a rat decided to run out of a nearby skull. The moment the toddler saw it, he let out a scream that echoed throughout the cave-awakening the Helmaroc. Brittany drew her sword and pushed the kid back toward the crevice.

"Get in there and stay hidden!" she shouted. She clasped the sword in both hands, and saw the Gerudo ready her spear.

"You ready for this, Little Heroine?" remarked the girl. Brittany smirked.

"Ready? I was born ready."


	35. Last Flight of the Helmaroc

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE**

**"**_Last Flight of the Helmaroc_**"**

Brittany barely had time to think as the Helmaroc flew into a crazed fit. Waking up an injured animal was bad enough-waking up a half-blind one was sheer madness. The two girls readied their weapons and prepared to fight.

"One of my friends got the left eye, and the middle toe on its right foot is barely hanging," Brittany rasped to the fighter. "It has burns on the right side of its face, too. And it's lost a lot of blood."

The merchant smirked. "Really? That should make this a lot easier."

Upon hearing the girls speak, the Helmaroc raised a wing and prepared to strike.

"GET DOWN!" Brittany and the Gerudo dropped to their knees as another flurry of pinions flew at them-this time, from the opposite wing. "That's how it got my friend..."

"So it's used both wings, now? The Great Goddess has granted us great fortune!" cheered the girl. "Those special quills are found only in its wings. Once they're used up, they don't grow back for a long time."

"How do you know this stuff?"

"Don't talk-attack!" she bolted forward.

Brittany raised her sword. "Sounds good enough to me! _**!**_"

The two maidens raced toward the bird, weapons at the ready. The Helmaroc began to flap about, screeching and clawing blindly with its one good foot. The sonic screech was amplified against the walls, causing both girls to cover their ears from the pain.

"Gah! It _HURTS!_" screamed the Gerudo.

"Wait a minute..." Brittany bit down hard to steel herself against the shriek, then flung off her pack and pulled out the wool fluff. Within seconds, she'd torn it into four bits and stuffed two pieces into her own ears. She pushed the other bits beneath the fighter's face. "Here! Stick 'em in your ears!"

The girl quickly complied right as the Helmaroc let out another screech. The wool didn't block all of the sound, but it muffled the worst of it. When the bird noticed that no more screams were coming from the girls, it tried to turn and look for them. Fortunately, its injured foot kept it from doing so, giving the duo the chance to scamper out of its line of sight.

"It cannot see us!" the girl mouthed to Brittany.

"If we get it to look away, we can attack it's blind side!"

"But how?" Brittany smiled as she dumped everything out of her bag. She grabbed hold of the tinderbox and laid it down on the ground, then started striking the bits together. Meanwhile the Helmaroc got more frustrated by not being able to stand or see, so it began hopping around and flailing its wings again. The air didn't help light the tinder box, at all.

"Hurry, it'll spot us!"

"I'm going as fast as I can!" Brittany growled. "There...got it!"

The thin cloth bag soon began to blaze. Grabbing hold of the corner, Brittany flung it as far away from herself as humanly possible. The winds stirred up by the flapping dimmed the flame a bit, but it helped the fabric travel farther. The moment the bag landed, the Helmaroc spotted it. The creature stopped beating its wings and darted after the rucksack.

"Now!" Brittany whispered. Like a flash of lightning, the maidens ran across the room and fell upon the monster. The Empath leapt high as she neared it, allowing her to sink her sword into the meat of the creature's back. It let out another screech, but Brittany just ground her blade in harder and gave it a twist. As the bird turned to slam her into the wall, her Gerudo companion darted at its legs. The desert girl rolled under a flapping wing and, with one great swing of her spear, sliced the injured toe clean off the beast.

The Helmaroc let out a higher-pitched shriek than usual. As the monster toppled over on its side, Brittany shoved hard against the bird's back and leapt as far away as possible. The beast slammed into the ground, sending the whole tiny cave shaking and scattering the bony litter across the floor. Brittany pulled the small knife the villagers had given her from her hip pocket, then she and the Gerudo readied themselves for the final strike.

Knowing that Death's icy grip was upon it, the bird gave another desperate screech and began to flail about as it had after Impa's attack. During its panic, however, the Helmaroc had neglected where the sword had pierced its back. As it rolled over to kick at its attackers, its back slammed hard into the cavern floor and sent the sword straight up into its vital organs. Blood spurted from the wound in a sanguine fountain. The beast rose up one last time, let out a raspy cry, and lashed its head back and forth. Finally, the creature's wings fell slack and it crashed to the ground-never to attack anyone ever again.

Brittany panted heavily, then let out a deep breath as she fell to her knees. She sat there for a moment, watching the creature's remaining lifeblood drain into the cavern basin. When she managed to calm herself with its death, she spoke.

"We...we did it." The Gerudo relaxed her stance and tapped her spear on the ground. "Well, now what do we do?"

"I suppose we take the child back to the village," the girl said. "But first, I want my treasure..."

Brittany shook her head. "You nearly lost your life to that thing and all you can think about is _LOOT?_" she pushed herself to her feet. "What are you gonna do-plunder the bones? Unless you're a wild dog, I doubt you'll find much use of anything in here-"

"I came for those feathers at the top of its head," the merchant said. Brittany looked over toward the fallen monster and saw several oddly colored feathers sticking out from its scalp. The young woman nodded.

"After a 'Roc's feather, huh?" The Gerudo nodded. "Well, then...let's go get your prize."

The desert woman beamed a wicked grin as Brittany headed over to the corpse. The Empath jumped over the pool of crimson and grabbed onto the creature's head. Looking down at it, she saw that its one unmarred eye stared straight ahead, the life gone out of it.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Get me my feathers!"

The Empath turned and gave the woman a scolding glance. "Hey, if it wasn't for me, your ass would be dead! I suggest you be just a tad bit nicer to me."

The Gerudo folded her arms over her chest. "I'll be much nicer when I have my feathers!"

Brittany rolled her eyes. Shaking her head, she turned back to the bird. The creature itself was mostly various hues of navy, white and red with three long green and yellow tails, but there were four solid orange feathers jutting out from its skull. She took hold of one of the pinions and used her knife to help ply it free. Once she had pried out the strange feathers, she skipped over the slippery rock to the Gerudo.

"Ooh-Gimme, gimme, gimme!" the desert woman hooked her spear in the crook of her arm and twitched the fingers on her welcoming hands. Brittany forked over the four pinions and the girl headed back to retrieve the junk that she had dumped out of her now extra-crispy rucksack. As she tried to locate her belongings in the increasing darkness, she could hear the other woman fawning over her new prize.

"Oh, what a treasure-the greatest in the land!" cried the merchant. "What a gift the Great Goddess has bestowed upon me today!"

"Yeah, yeah...make yourself useful and hold this," Brittany pushed the torch over to the girl. Once she had it lit, the Empath took the brazier and headed back over to the crevice to get the boy.

"Come on out, kid...the evil birdie is gone. He won't bother you or anyone else ever again."

The tiny child emerged from the crevice and practically threw his arms around Brittany's leg. The boy began to weep, his tears soaking into his savior's pants leg. Smiling, Brittany unbound the coat from her waist and threw it over the child so he would not see the bird's carcass. She leaned down, allowing him to wrap his arms around her neck, then held him up with her one free arm. When she walked back over to the Gerudo, the woman was smiling.

"C'mon...let's go," Brittany said, and she and the desert maiden left the cave. Going downhill was a bit of a problem, so the Empath had to give the torch to her new companion so she would not drop the child. Once they reached the flatland, they found Altair waiting for them. The Gerudo seemed very surprised by the horse's appearance.

"No wonder you were able to defeat the Helmaroc...you're a knight, aren't you?" asked the desert girl. "Only a noble could afford Gerudo horse flesh."

Brittany called to Altair. The stallion trotted over with a happy snort and began to nuzzle the girl's face. Brittany stroked his nose as he lowered himself to the ground. She insisted the desert girl ride him and hold onto the child. The girl complied and Brittany handed the child-who was now sleeping-to her. She slipped the coil of rope she had taken from the cave and looped it around Altair's neck, then took the torch from the Gerudo. As they were about to leave, Brittany remembered something.

"Oh, crap! I forgot my sword!"

The Gerudo shook her head. "I doubt you'd be able to get it out of that thing's back with the way it was lying."

"But I HAVE to! A friend of mine gave it to me!"

"Hey, unless you have the strength of about twenty men, there is no way you'll be able to lift that creature. Besides," the desert girl said, "we only have one torch. Should you not be more concerned about returning the boy?"

Brittany scoffed. _This is coming from girl who nearly got herself killed over a handful of feathers!_

"Right," the brunette nodded. "We need to concentrate on getting back in one piece, now that we're nearly unarmed. Looks like Link will just have to kick my ass for losing that sword."

The Gerudo girl smirked. "At least you know when to cut your losses," she noted as Brittany took the torch back in hand. "Smart and brave. Are you part Gerudo by any chance?"

Brittany gave a dry laugh. _I wish!_ she thought.

"No, I'm afraid I'm not."

"Are you sure? You have the ears..."

"Are you gonna play 'twenty questions' with me all of the way back to the village?" asked the Empath.

"No, merely two questions."

Brittany shook her head and sighed. "Fine...what's the other one?"

The Gerudo grinned. "Does Little Heroine have a name? I'd like to know the name of such an ingenious fighter, considering that she's not a Gerudo."

The girl looked up at the foreigner astride the horse. "Brittany," she said.

"'Brittany', huh?" the girl wrinkled her nose. "What an odd name!"

"That's what everybody says."

"Well, Brittany..." the desert girl nodded her head in a slight bow. "I am Yubira."

Brittany nodded her head in return before she turned and began to lead Altair, with the survivors in tow, down the darkened mountain path.


	36. The Invitation

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX**

**"**_The Invitation_**"**

Link sighed. He'd never seen Zelda so upset before. As he sat beside of her, stroking her hair, her eyes remained focused on the sleeping face of Impa. The princess had a death grip on her nursemaid's plump hand, as if she were afraid that the older woman's spirit would slip away should she let go. Even though Ezlo and Vaati had managed to heal the majority of the damage, Impa had still lost quite a bit of blood. Sleep, he knew, would do the noblewoman good, but Zelda was still in shock from nearly losing the closest person she had ever had to a mother.

Footsteps resounded out it the hall. Link snapped his head up just as a flurry of indigo and purple came into the room.

"Any news?"

"Nothing!" panted the harried Minish. "It's been _**HOURS**_, Link! HOURS since she went after that thing!" Vaati stomped over to the open window and looked out toward the mountain. "She doesn't even know a proper stance...what if...what if?"

"Vaati, please, sit down," called Ezlo, whom had currently taken up position on Link's shoulder. "You are liable to run a rut in the floor if you keep darting about the way you've been doing."

The imp remained at the window, gazing fearfully out onto the street below. Link might not have been an Empath like Brittany, but even he could tell how worried Vaati was. They had not been able to stop the girl from going after the Helmaroc. Link had been too preoccupied with helping Zelda hold it together and, with the princess out of sorts, the mage and his master were the only two capable of healing their fallen companion. Nevertheless, he knew Vaati blamed himself.

"Vaati, you're a swordsman," he tried to break the tension in the room. "You should know that combat against a beast is far different than that of two knights."

"If anything's happened to her, I shall never forgive myself..."

"Vaati, as your mentor and surrogate father, I _command_ you to sit down!" barked Ezlo. "That kid will be fine-she's too stubborn to die."

Of course, the Picori sage's words had little effect on his frightened apprentice. He kept his vigil by the window, all the while nervously picking at the edge of his cloak. He let his hood fall from his head (even though they were in a tiny village in an isolated portion of Holodrum, the mage had been taking no chances with his identity). He crossed his arms over the sill and rested his head against them.

_Poor guy has to be exhausted,_ thought Link. He remembered Ezlo telling him that magic drains a person's energy as much as physical activity-if not more since it was more of a mental process. What probably amazed Link the most was Vaati's behavior. Obviously, he was not the same maniacal warlock that had trapped his best friend in stone, but there was more to it than that. From what he garnered from talking to the mage on the trail, he had learned just how close he felt to Brittany already. Not that he couldn't understand why-with the exception of his mentor Ezlo, the Empath was probably the first real friend Vaati had ever had.

And now, she was missing. _No wonder he's so freaked out_, Link thought. Suddenly, Impa let out a small groan and they all turned toward the woman.

"Impa...Impa!" Zelda lightly shook the woman's hand.

"Pr-princess...?"

"Yes, Impa," she placed a hand on her servant's head, "I'm here!"

Slowly, the rotund woman opened her eyes. She groggily stared into space at first, but she finally turned to her charge once her vision cleared. Zelda had tears brimming afresh in the corners of her eyes.

"My dear Princess Zelda...what makes you so sad?"

"Sweet Impa, these are tears of joy!" Zelda hiccupped.

"Yeah, we thought we lost you," Link joined in. The noblewoman groaned as she tried to sit up. The hero put a hand on her uninjured shoulder and gently pushed her back onto the pillow. "No, lie still. You're injured."

Impa groaned. "What happened to me?" she hissed as a pain ran through her chest. "I feel like a couple of Dark Knuts played catch with me."

"You were hit by the Helmaroc's quills. Ezlo warned us, but I guess you didn't hear him since he's still a Minish. You're lucky to be alive...he and Vaati saved you."

Impa turned her head toward the mage, who was now kneeling on the opposite side of the bed. "Is this true, young man?"

Vaati said nothing, but nodded slightly.

"Well, then," the nursemaid managed a weak smile, "you are not as bad as I thought. I see so many welcome faces that I feared I might not ever see again. But where, I wonder, is Miss Brittany? Off sneaking a honey sandwich again?" she chuckled. Then she noticed the downcast expressions of her companions. "Zelda, dear, whatever is the matter?"

"Brittany...went after the Helmaroc," the royal replied. "She has been gone for hours."

"Oh, dear Goddesses..." gasped the invalid woman. She let out another pained hiss. "That foolish child..."

Link noticed Vaati leave the window and march over to the door. "Where are you going?" the hero asked. Vaati pulled open the door.

"I refuse to wait any longer!" jeered the mage. "I have to find her...to make sure she's alright."

"But, Vaati, you can't-"

Link stopped short as he noticed Vaati's head turned back to the window. The mage's eyes grew wide and his mouth fell agape. Suddenly, he jerked his hood back over his head and race out of the door, letting it bang into the wall from how quickly he threw it open. A few moments later, Link heard excited chatter and a stampede of footsteps downstairs. He jumped up and darted over to the window.

"There's a light in the distance...a torch! Hey, Zelda, I think it's Brittany!"

The hero bolted down the tavern stairs and out onto the street with the others. A growing crowd had formed in the road. Link noticed the parents of the missing boy clinging to each other as though they were about to fall apart. His eyes then landed on the desert women, whose leader was boldly holding her head high. Link forced his way through the crowd and joined Vaati. The Hylian heard the youth's breath hitch.

The tiny orb of light bobbed around in the distance, gradually growing larger as it came closer. Pretty soon, the flames illuminated the face of a young woman and the horse behind her. As they came near the light that poured from the town windows, Link heard Vaati breath a heavy sigh of relief. It _**was**_ Brittany-and she was not alone. Her companions raced to her side.

"Are you okay?" Vaati grabbed her shoulder and frantically looked her over. "D-did you get hurt?"

"I'm fine," she assured the youth. "How's Impa?"

"She's weak, but she'll live. Zelda's with her now," Link told her. "So, did you find the Helmaroc?"

The Earthling nodded. "That feathered bastard won't be bothering anyone ever again," she proclaimed, "but I'm afraid I lost the sword you gave me."

"That's okay! As long as you're still in one piece," the hero said.

"I'm in one piece, alright...and so are _they_," she said, raising the torch to illuminate Altair.

Atop the warhorse sat a young Gerudo maiden. In front of her, wrapped in Brittany's coat, was the little boy. The families and companions of the riders hurried toward the party as the horse lowered himself to the ground. The desert girl slid off the beast with the child in her arms. Within moments, the boy, now crying loudly, was pulled into a crushing hug by his nearly hysterical mother.

The Gerudo strolled up to their newfound companion with stoic faces.

"Yubira, you foolish girl," the leader scolded the maiden. "What have you to say for yourself?"

The girl produced the feathers and held them up for the women to see. "But I got them! I have the 'Roc's feathers!" The two younger Gerudo cheered.

"Yubira..." The merchants' leader threw her arms around the girl. "Do you have any idea how you frightened me?" scolded the older woman. "I've half a notion to have you flogged for that little stunt!"

"Mother...forgive me," Subira said. Brittany's eyes widened.

"She's your mother?" The Gerudo nodded. Once their hug ended, the leader walked over to Brittany, placed her arms over her chest, and bowed to one knee.

"Thank you, Little Heroine," said the merchant. "Thank you for bringing my daughter back safely."

Brittany half-bowed to the woman. "No problem. In fact," Brittany looked to Yubira, "without her, the little boy would not have survived for as long as he did."

"You were the hero, Brittany!" Yubira piped up. "After all, it was your blade that pierced the liver of that monster!" The townspeople, Gerudo, and the Empath's companion all turned to Brittany. "You should have seen it, Mother-how she bounded onto the creature's back and drove in her sword-"

"Vhy don't ve all head back into ze tavern and you two can give us ze entire story?" suggested the elder.

Shouts of agreement rang out from the crowd, so Brittany and the others were hustled into the little building. Within minutes, Brittany found herself standing by Yubira in front of the roaring fireplace as the crowd looked on. Her Gerudo ally drew the townsfolk into the story by picking up from where she and the boy were captured, how she used a well-aimed skull to the bird's head to let her and the boy escape to the crevice, then how 'Little Heroine' (as she called Brittany) crept into the cavern to defeat the bird. Pretty soon, Brittany wound up reenacting half of the battle as Yubira continued her epic.

"...Then, as the wicked Helmaroc turned to slice us open with its wicked talons, it fell upon Little Heroine's sword. Her righteous blade thrust up and tore through the monster's liver-sending its lifeblood pouring onto the rock below. The creature gave a last, dying screech before collapsing into the crimson pool."

The townspeople cheered and the Gerudo women let out war whoops. Brittany felt a little embarrassed by the whole thing, but the overwhelming sense of victory that sprang from the audience gave reenergized her weary body. She caught sight of the little boy she had rescued and smiled. He shyly waved his tiny hand and buried his face into his mother's chest.

"Weren't you scared?" a little girl asked the Empath.

"Little Heroine, afraid?" boasted Yubira as she crossed her arms. "Bah, that is to laugh! Her iron will staved off fear before it ever had a chance to frighten her."

"Actually," Brittany corrected the merchant-turned-bard, "that monster hurt one of my dear friends, so I was too angry to be afraid."

Scattered 'oohs' and 'ahhs' came from the crowd. After a series of other questions, Brittany noticed Link and Vaati had snuck back to the stairway. The boys waved to her. Excusing herself-well, actually, she pawned the attention off on Yubira by reminding her of her part in the fight-she snuck away from the crowd and up the stairs. She followed her friends into the room where Impa lay.

"That was quite a story, Miss Brittany," Impa turned to Brittany. "I could hear that desert girl from up here-"

"Impa! You're alright!" she darted over to the woman's side.

"Thanks to your little Minish friend, I am." Brittany turned to Vaati, who was idly standing by the door, and smiled. She mouthed a silent 'thank you' and he nodded. A few moments later, they heard a knock on the door. "Whomever could that be?" Link pulled open the door to reveal the Gerudo leader standing on the other side.

"I hope I am not interrupting," said the woman. Impa smiled.

"Not at all, dearie."

"Won't you have a seat, ma'am?" Link motioned to one of the several chairs in the room. The Gerudo bowed slightly but refused the offer. Instead, she walked over and leaned against the foot of the bed opposite Impa's.

"I am here," the woman said, "to speak with Brittany."

The Empath was, to say the least, surprised. "Um...okay...speak away."

The Gerudo woman nodded. "First, I must properly introduce myself. I am Subira, Grand Vizier to the Queen Mother of the Gerudo. I hail from the tribe in the southeastern regions of the Desert Wastes."

"Well, I may not have a fancy title," Brittany replied, "but I'm happy to be of service anyway."

Subira chuckled. "I am afraid you misunderstand, child-it is _I_ who am in _your_ debt."

"Aww, you don't owe me a thing," Brittany waved her off. Subira shook her head.

"You have no choice in the matter. You not only rescued my daughter but also a Gerudo. We may be a shrewd bunch, but we are also extremely loyal to our principles. The highest of these is the blood debt, to which I now owe you."

The desert woman pierced Brittany's gaze with her acidic green eyes.

"I have carefully weighed the facts of the situation, and, according to Yubira's and your retelling of the battle, I see that you are a very intelligent, bold young woman. With careful and abundant training, you could quickly rise in the ranks of the Gerudo tribes."

"But," the brunette replied, "I am no Gerudo."

"Then what of your rounded ears, child? No being in this realm has such a thing except for the Gerudo. While you may be rosy of flesh and chestnut of hair, you have the heartier, stronger build of our kind. Plus, your wit and quick mind would be an invaluable asset to us. What do you say, Brittany-will you join the Gerudo? Of course, I would have to clear it by our sovereign, but I am sure that you would be welcomed with open arms."

Brittany, as well as everyone else in the room, was nothing sort of stunned. She looked over to Zelda and Link, then to Ezlo, Impa, and Vaati. The Empath looked back to Subira and shook her head.

"Thanks for the offer, Grand Vizier Subira," she smiled, "but I cannot accept your offer. We are on a journey at the moment of the utmost importance, and I cannot afford to stray from it."

Subira smirked. "You need not make the decision right away if such a quest you are indeed on. Permit me to ask, but..."

"A young maiden from Hyrule was kidnapped abroad," Zelda chimed in. "Brittany is coming to help us find her."

The Gerudo raised a brow. "Oh, is that so? Well, is there anything that my people can do to help?"

"Actually, there is!" Brittany spoke up. "We've head that you are supposed to keep careful records of whom you have sold certain horses to. Well, our friend was kidnapped by a small group of riders who used Gerudo-bred horses. We were on our way to the Desert Wastes before we were attacked."

Subira narrowed her eyes to sultry slits and increased her smirk. "So, you would be needing a guide, then? Few that travel the sands can find our establishment without succumbing to the scorching sun first. Besides," she added, "this way, you can meet our leader! Perhaps our sovereign can help you make up your mind. Until then," she rose from her seat, "I bid you all good night."

Link opened the door and Subira disappeared through it. The moment he closed it, his and everyone else's eyes fell upon Brittany.

"Well, Brit," the hero said, "it looks like your recklessness has become our ticket to the Desert Wastes! Straight into Gerudo land, no less!"

"My goodness, what a stroke of good fortune!" Zelda clapped her hands together. "We shall find the people who took Farore in no time, now."

Brittany felt a tiny blush creep up onto her face. "To think, they'd actually want _ME_ as a Gerudo!" she smiled and twiddled her shirt tail between her fingers. "Me! This is...wow...this is amazing!"

"Don't be too eager to join them, missy," Impa spoke up. "We know so little about them. I mean, just look at the skimpy clothing they wear!"

_Like bellydancers...!_ Brittany tried to hold back a smile.

"And besides that, there are tales of caravans that have gone into the Desert Wastes and they've been robbed by bandits!"

_Sounds like the Gerudo, THAT'S for sure..._

"But, Impa," Zelda joined in, "are they also not one of the oldest races on the planet? Their culture must have a prominent heritage. What mysteries they must hold!" she turned to Brittany.

"But they're _hussies!_"

"They are prolific businesswomen, that's for certain," Ezlo chimed in, "but they are also renown martial artists. The training you could receive there...to be welcome into a Gerudo household, especially one of such high a rank, would practically guarantee you a home with close-knit relations. Being without a family as you are now, would that not seem god sent?"

The Earthling bowed her head and sighed. Ezlo was right-she was alone. Not that she minded being a loner, but having a supportive and loving family was what she always wanted. Because of her unstable mother, neglectful father and gossipy relatives, she had given up hope long ago of that wish ever coming true. But now, here she was being offered the chance to belong somewhere! They had no idea how she had pined away for just that chance...

Suddenly, Vaati stood up from his chair. "Excuse me," he said, a strange sense of urgency in his voice, "but I have to go check on Moosh." Without another word, the mage opened the door and left. Everyone just stared.

"What do you suppose _THAT_ was about?" Ezlo asked. He glanced over at Link and gave the hero a puzzled look. As if by some sort of telepathic link, the boy took the hint and nodded.

"I...think I'll go check on Moosh, too," he fibbed. And with that, the hero departed and left the bewildered group to ponder their friends' strange behavior.


	37. Girl Trouble

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN**

**"**_Girl Trouble_**"**

Vaati stumbled out into the street, his hands balled into fists by his sides.

_What is WRONG with me?_ his mind screamed. From the moment that desert woman invited Brittany to become a Gerudo, he had been out of sorts. While he should have been happy that his friend had received such an honor, it bothered him to no end. He had hoped that, once the youngest oracle had been rescued, Brittany would come back to Hyrule with him. He had never thought that she might find a place she liked better-especially with the Gerudo!

He grumbled to himself. "There's no way she'd prefer the Desert Wastes over Hyrule," he told himself. "Nothing but sand, horses, and merchant women there."

Not that he minded the women, that is (Vaati may not have had much experience around girls, but by no means did he plan on entering a monastery any time soon-if you catch my drift). But they were Gerudo. From his studies, he knew that the desert women were an independent lot-they preferred freedom to the constrains of traditional human marriage. If Brittany was to join them, he might never see her again!

Vaati stifled a groan. Brittany was his friend...she should be happy, even if it meant becoming part of the desert women. Suddenly, a thought struck him. The only men ever allowed into the Gerudo kingdom were those _born_ unto them. He knew there had to be at least ONE man-their Prince. Few people knew about the entirely female tribe being led by a man, but he learned from one of Taytl's crow friends that the Gerudo Queen had a son. The mage's eyes widened as a horrible thought struck him.

_What if she goes and meets their Prince, then he takes her for a consort?_ After all, the Grand Vizier herself said that Brittany would be invaluable. No man in his right mind would pass up the girl once he learned she was an Empath! How dangerous her gift could be if she fell into the wrong hands! Not to mention the very idea of some desert swine embracing his Brittany, drawing her face close to his and-

"Wait a second..._MY_ Brittany? Goddesses, Vaati," he slapped his forehead, "have you lost your mind? She's your _friend_, dammit! There will be no thinking of your friend like that!"

He sighed as he remembered the first night she came to Hyrule. Unconscious, being dragged between the two oracles, she had been pulled from certain death and left lying in the grass outside of the treehouse. The forest Picori had all been put in charge of her, so he had decided to keep watch first. He had flown down with Taytl to inspect her when he felt it-that strange, stabbing feeling in his heart the moment he saw her face. She had been a pale creature but far rosier than he was. Her dark chestnut hair and black shirt had made her seem flesh ghostly, almost ethereal. While she lay sleeping, her soft, round face reminded him of an angel...a troubled angel, though she later turned out to be.

He had discovered a few years prior that just because the Picori Gate was sealed didn't mean he couldn't transform. He used the stump Brittany later shrunk herself with to grow, then spent the rest of the night as a Hylian to ward off anyone that would dare harm her. When Taytl spotted the ranchers coming to find their missing cow, he hid in the bushes nearby until he was sure they meant no harm. He followed her on Taytl's back, staying around her as long as he could until his apprentice duties called him away. The morning she had gone after Verdun, he had already been perched on a rock near the gate, ready to help her if Link had not shown up. For weeks after, he watched over her-either on birdback or by hiding in her castle room (he had to sneak out after Ezlo went to bed, then hurry back in the morning before his master awoke)-with that strange pang happening more and more often every time he saw her.

"Hey!" Vaati turned around and saw Link running up to catch him.

"Oh...it's you, Link..." the mage glanced around the empty street. "Why are you out here? Should you not be inside with the princess and the others?"

Link coasted to a halt. "Yeah, but you left all of a sudden-"

"Is that so abnormal?"

"It was to Ezlo," the hero pointed out. "So tell me...what's wrong, man?"

Vaati raised an eyebrow. "How did you figure out something was wrong?"

"You just told me," Link beamed. The mage turned away in embarrassment. "Besides, you've acting weird ever since Brittany showed up. You'd think you'd be happier than you are-"

"I _AM_ happy!" scowled the mage. Link crossed his arms.

"Really? You sound more like you're pissed off, to me."

Vaati turned and stomped off, but Link just followed him. "Will you leave me alone?" he growled. "Can I not have some privacy?"

"No," Link replied flatly. "And I'm not leaving until you tell me what is wrong with you. You didn't fool anybody, Vaati-we all know something's up. You may as well tell me before Brittany finds her way down here and asks you herself."

The hooded youth stopped short. He turned halfway around, his face still shrouded from Link's view.

"This is about her invitation from the Gerudo, isn't it?"

Vaati remained silent for a long moment.

"Well...?"

"...Yes."

"Then why didn't you just say something?"

"Because she deserves happiness as much as anyone does," the mage sighed.

"But you don't want her to go, do you?" the youth's head snapped up, nearly knocking the hood off his head. His ruby eyes were narrowed and his jaw locked, but there was a strange tint to his cheeks. Link beamed a wicked grin. "You _like_ her, don't you?" The tint deepened and spread across his face. Link tried to suppress a laugh but he failed.

"What is so damn funny?" Vaati hissed through clenched teeth.

"Nothing, it's just...well, I had a feeling you were more than friends," Link said. "You kept talking about her non-stop on the trail. You've only known her for a couple of days and yet it sounds like she's all that's happened to you since the incident."

"She's been my first real friend, Link," the mage replied coolly, "that is all."

"Yeah, but that's not all of the story, is there? C'mon, I saw the little lesson you gave her the other night! Can you honestly stand there and say that wiping crumbs off was the only thing you wanted to do to her lips?"

Vaati gave Link a death glare.

"Man, I haven't seen a glare that bad since I used Ezlo for a parachute," he laughed. "Vaati, if you like her, then why don't you just tell her?"

"I'm her friend..."

"But you like her more than that, 'cause you talk about her all the-"

"You're the same way with Zelda!" Vaati snapped.

"Yeah, but we've been pals since childhood-"

Vaati crossed his arms over his chest. "What's the difference?"

"It's...well, um...I mean..."

"Uh-huh..." the mage droned sarcastically.

Link scowled at the mage. "Hey, she's my childhood friend!" he barked.

"Like I said..." Vaati repeated. "What is the difference?"

The hero clamped his mouth shut and glowered at the shorter youth. The two of them continued their glaring contest for a few moments before Link let out a frustrated sigh.

"Look...I'm just saying this because she's my friend, too," the knight said. "I know you like her-" he held up a hand before Vaati could protest, "-but regardless of _how_ you like her, you need to consider this: ANYTHING could happen on this journey. You saw what happened to Impa. And," he added, "even if Brittany makes it out of this without a scratch, she still has a lot of inner demons."

"Her nightmares..." Vaati whispered.

Link nodded. "That's right. We've both seen the kinds of fits she goes into when she gets like that. Those things could be dangerous to her."

"That's one reason why I came along," Vaati admitted. "Just don't tell Ezlo-he thinks I've got too many issues of my own to help her, the dunce."

Link smiled. "My lips," he made a sweeping motion across his face, "are sealed." The mage smiled. "C'mon. Let's hurry and check on Moosh before the girls start to wonder where we went."

The next few days went by in a flash. Moosh and Impa had to stay behind, of course, but it could not be helped (the nursemaid was wounded and it would be hard to sustain a bear in the desert). The desert women had given Brittany a few odd looks when she appeared with Altair, but they had said nothing. Instead, they grouped around the girl and began chatting away about desert life and the ways of the Gerudo. Vaati, of course, did not like any of it, but he held his tongue for most of the trip. Now and again, he would lag behind the horses and talk with Link.

"Will you listen to them jabber?" groaned the mage. "They've been at it ever since we left the village."

Link let out a laugh. "Yeah, and they've even got Zelda in on their conversation now! They're not so bad once you get to know 'em."

"Humph!" mumbled Ezlo, who was currently hiding under Vaati's hood. "I can't put my finger on it, but something about those Gerudo doesn't set right with me. I don't trust 'em one bit. Bunch of yakking biddies..."

Vaati giggled. "Better not let Brittany or Zelda hear you say that."

"Yeah, Ezlo, she might just pay you back for whacking her with the staff the other night."

Ezlo grunted and crossed his arms. "I just want to get there, get out, go find Farore, and go home!" he pouted. "In fact, I would like to skip right to the going home part!"

"Aww, c'mon, Ezlo," Link said, "don't tell me you weren't itching for another adventure yourself."

"But why do we have to journey in a _desert?_ I _**hate**_ deserts! Hate the sand, hate the sun, and I hate all of those buzzards flying overhead! It's like they're just waiting to pick your bones!"

"Hey, at least you're covered from the sun," Vaati reminded him. "I could always have you sit outside of the hood."

With that, his master groaned and hushed. Not that Vaati blamed him-the desert _was_ a pain, and they were only in the canyon at the moment! He hated to think of how scorching the sun was going to get once they reached the first dunes. He'd bundled himself up in his cloak so the sun wouldn't harm him. Even Zelda and Link were wearing cloaks-albeit lighter-colored ones. The only one out of their original party that didn't have a cloak was Brittany.

Actually, you could say that Brittany was far _less_ dressed than she had been. Before they had left the village, Yubira had convinced the Empath to start working on a tan. The mother of the boy Brittany rescued heard the Gerudo's idea and took it upon herself to make a shirt for her as a token of her gratitude.

And now she sat astride the warhorse in her new yellow halter top. It was not as low-cut as her dancer's blouse, but Vaati noticed it showed a good portion of her pale back. Her arms were uncovered, too, and she had already taken to wearing her hair in the traditional Gerudo ponytail-although she left a few sprigs of her hair hanging down by her ears. Her pants legs were rolled up to the knee to show off her claves.

Vaati gulped. The baggy clothes may have given her a tougher appearance but Brittany's new clothes did wonders for the girl. She may have been a bit heavier than the other girls but she certainly had a hell of a lot better curves-and that new top did more than just flatter them! Without even realizing it, he found himself mentally tracing the outline of her rosy shoulders. A smirk played on his lips as his eyes trailed over the maiden and drank in her once-hidden looks.

He shook his head. _No, I should NOT be thinking about her like that! Snap out of it, right now! She is your friend, you idiot-F-R-I-E-N-D! You no thinky like that! But...she __**does**__ look a lot better from behind now...No! Idiot, idiot, IDIOT! Stop it!_

While Vaati was having a mental battle with himself, he didn't notice a blush had formed on his cheeks. Unfortunately, Ezlo did.

"Boy, are you feeling alright?" the sage asked. "You're all red in the face. Are you sick?"

"What? No! I-I just...ur, I mean..."

Link looked over at Vaati, then up at Brittany, then back to Vaati again. He grinned knowingly to himself but said nothing. It was too much fun watching the Minish-turned-Hylian sweat over his little 'secret'. Of course, he had promised not to tell...but only to Ezlo. Not that he was planning on match-making or anything-no, that was Zelda's cup of tea.

The hero made a mental note to let the princess in on the little 'secret' later.


	38. Dinner with a Villain

**CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT**

**"**Dinner with a Villain**"**

Needless to say, Brittany was surprised that the Gerudo took up with her so fast. All four desert women proved to be quite charming and witty travel companions-she scarcely found a chance to breathe once they struck up a conversation! She had so much fun listening to the merchants' trading adventures that, before she knew it, it was nightfall. Even when they made camp, the Empath found herself in the middle of another of Subira's tales. She was so caught up in the excitement that she never got a chance to ask Link for a sword-fighting lesson (not that she could since her sword was still in the Helmaroc's carcass). Yubira insisted on keeping watch with her so she was not able to talk to Vaati, either.

For the next couple of days, the Gerudo maiden became a younger sister to Brittany. The girl told her how it had been her first trip out of the Desert Wastes and that her success on the voyage was her right of passage in the Gerudo realm. With her being the daughter of the Grand Vizier, Brittany could see why Yubira would risk her life for a few feathers.

What she didn't understand was how Yubira managed to talk her into wearing that silly tube-top! After years of wearing baggy clothing, Brittany felt half-naked wearing anything otherwise. She couldn't argue since-if she did decide to join the Gerudo, she would need a tan to protect her from the scorching desert sun. Still, the fact that she was the heaviest of the women made her feel very awkward. She tried to keep her mind off of her fatter body, but exposing her back and arms was nearly a bit much for her. Somehow, Subira must have sensed the girl's insecurity, so even though the other Gerudo were eager to have their possibly new sister dress like them, she convinced the others to let her ease into the style gradually (that's probably the only reason Brittany got to keep her midriff covered!).

"My child, why do you prod yourself so? One would think you were trying to keep a demon from escaping your body with the way you keep jabbing at your midsection," said the merchant once she noticed Brittany trying to push in her stomach.

"A woman's curves make her more easy on the eyes to a potential customer. Trust me," Yubira said, her hand on her hip and her chest pushed out into a proud pose, "the more he's enthralled by your beauty, the more money you can get out of him!"

"You needn't be shy, Little Heroine," Subira teased. "Once you get used to wearing normal clothes, you'll never wanna go back to that baggy stuff. It's just not feminine enough."

"But I _like_ baggy clothes," Brittany hissed, rubbing her midriff. "Besides, I'm too fat to be wearing stuff like this..."

"Who said?" Yubira barked.

"Well, back where I came from..."

"It doesn't matter _where_ you came from, so long as you know where you are going!" Yubira grinned. "You're getting a bit red, Brittany. Best put your coat on."

"Yeah, my nose is starting to sting..." Brittany said, quickly turning to Zelda, whom had long ago left the boys to join her party. The girl snatched the coat from the princess and draped the gigantic garment over her head to shield herself from the sun. "How much longer do you suppose it will be, Subira?"

"Our leader often travels to the small town at the edge of the desert in order to hear the latest news. We should be nearing it any second now...aha! Look...up ahead!"

Brittany watched as the small desert town came into view. The moment she got close enough to recognize the people, she noticed that there were other Gerudo looking at them. Her self-consciousness flourished, making her hold the cloth tighter and pray that no one noticed her chubby frame. Subira chatted with one of the townswomen for a moment before they struck off down the road. Soon, Brittany found herself in front of a shady-looking tavern. She slipped off of Altair and tied him to the hitching post with the Gerudos' horses before following Subira into the establishment.

Apparently, the Gerudo must have been having some sort of celebration, because all Brittany could see was a multitude of desert women running about. The place was so crammed that not only was every table overflowing with customers, but there were also others standing along the walls chatting. A deafening roar of jumbled voices, clattering dishes and clinking of glasses surrounded her.

So many feelings pelted Brittany, but they all derived from the same emotions: amusement. Excitement. Happiness. As she watched the display of elated merchants, she felt a tap on her shoulder. The Empath turned and saw Subira motioning toward a particularly crowded area of the room. She found herself being pulled along by the wrist by an excited Yubira.

As Brittany approached the thickest part of the mob, she could hear wild shrieks of laughter coming from the table. To her surprise, they were mingled with a deeper, rougher voice. For a moment, her companions stopped. Through the thicket of people, Brittany could hear Subira speaking to someone.

"Ah, Grand Vizier Subira!" sounded the voice. "How nice to see you again! Was Yubira's first voyage as promising as I expected?"

"Sire," Brittany heard Subira's voice lower, "it was, until my child was attacked by the Helmaroc-"

"_**WHAT?**_"

As Brittany tried to peek around a few of the stalled customers, a sudden crash rang out and she heard boards being split. She nearly jumped out of her skin as the room went silent. Subira spit out a quick stream of words.

"Your Highness, do not fret," she turned to Brittany and waved her arm toward the girl, motioning her to come. "Yubira was saved by a cunning and bold-hearted maiden. I have brought her to meet you."

Brittany stepped forward. The moment the owner of the deeper voice came into view, her breath caught in her throat. A dark-fleshed bear of a man sat hunched over in a chair that was far too small for his over-muscled girth. His scalp was cleanly shaven, with the exception of a fiery ring of spiked-back hair encircling his head. A long black cloak draped over his frame, which was clothed in dark red and brown. His breastplate was longer than Brittany's arm, and he wore wicked-looking metal boots and knee armor. His fist lay curled in the crater he had smashed into the table.

He looked up at her over his long, witch-like nose. The moment she saw the acidic green eyes flash from their sockets, years of playing video games rushed back to her.

_Holy Mother of God-it's...!_

"Brittany, meet our lord and leader of the Southern Gerudo: Ganondorf."

If she were much weaker, the girl would have fainted on the spot. Instead, her mind decided to hyperventilate.

_Oh, crap, oh, crap, oh, holy freaking CRAP! Ganondorf-_**the**_ Ganondorf! Oh, snap...I'm gonna die! He's gonna crush my skull like a grape, and then I'm gonna die! What do I do, what do I do, WHAT DO I DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO?_

Ganondorf gripped the splintered wood in his hand and raised himself from his chair. The women stepped back as he casually stepped toward the Empath, until there was a huge gap in the room where only she and the Gerudo prince stood. He halted just in front of her and she raised her head to face her doom.

"So..." boomed the man. "You are the one who saved Yubira?"

Brittany narrowed her eyes and tried to maintain her composure in front of the towering menace. "I am."

"Take off your coat, my child, so he can see you."

Hesitantly, Brittany relaxed her grip on the fabric, pulled the oversized garment off, and handed it to Subira. With the absence of her protective garment, all the Empath could do was clench her fists and stand as tall as she could before the intimidating Gerudo. He circled her for a moment, his heavy steel boots thudding against the floorboards and Brittany's eyes never straying from his face. He stopped in front of her again, his hand on his chin and his eyes set in deep concentration. Suddenly, Ganondorf roared back with a hearty laugh that nearly shook the tavern.

"MWA-HA-HAH-HA-HAH! _This_ little girl defeated the mighty Helmaroc?" chortled the man. "Why, she's nothing but a child!"

Now Brittany was irritated. "I am _**NINETEEN**_ years old, I'll have you know!" she crossed her arms over her chest in defiant gesture. Ganondorf let out another bellow.

"Ah, and a feisty little warrior at that!"

"My liege," Subira spoke, "this maiden boldly sought the Helmaroc alone. A party of ten men from that village perished unable to wound the beast, and yet she slew it with naught but a sword and her own cunning. My Lord, she may be quite the pasty little thing and new to the art of warfare, but anyone so courageous as to go against such a monster would make a fine addition to our sisters. Would you not agree?"

Ganondorf raised a brow. "Are you certain that she is not already Gerudo? Her hair may be different," he looked down at the girl, "but her ears are round. Only Gerudo have round ears. Tell me, maiden," he asked Brittany, "where did you come from?"

Brittany gazed up with a cocky expression. "From outside," she said.

"Heh, such wit," smirked the prince. "Your heritage, then."

"That knowledge is for me alone," she bravely spoke. "I do not speak so freely of my past. There are ghosts there that I prefer remain at rest."

The dark man nodded. "Very well...I am sure that all will be revealed in time. For now," Ganondorf placed one enormous hand on her shoulder and motioned toward the table, "I bid you sup with us. Anyone who risked her life for one of my people is welcome at my table. Of course," he looked to the Hylians behind her, "your companions may also join us."

He led the maiden over to the table and pulled out the chair next to his own. A few of the Gerudo eyed Brittany strangely, but a glare from Ganondorf dismissed their prying eyes. Yubira nabbed the chair on his right side while someone else fetched the prince a larger seat. Before any of the other Gerudo could sit by Brittany, Vaati scrambled to the table and plopped down next to her. Link and Zelda moved to the opposite end of the table to sit with Subira.

"Ah...much better," said the Gerudo prince once a proper chair was found. "While we await our supper...Yubira, why not recall for us the dreaded battle of the Helmaroc?"

The merchant girl smiled and began her tale. For the next little while, Brittany watched the animated storyteller retell the same epic she told to the villagers in Holodrum. Many of the other Gerudo gathered around, some kneeling with their arms crossed over the table, while yet others crammed along the walls to listen. Brittany looked over to Ganondorf and watched, intrigued, as his eyes never left Yubira.

Once the story was done, Ganondorf stretched and leaned back in his chair. "What a grand battle! Such rage from the beast, and such nobility of our Little Heroine! Yubira, what a fine storyteller you are making. I only hope that charisma is not the only treasure you bring back from your journey."

"Sire, if I may..." Yubira looked over at Brittany. "Little Heroine and her company asks to see a list of the people we have sold horses to in the past few years."

The desert prince looked to the Empath. "Why would you need something like that?"

"A young girl from Hyrule was kidnapped," Brittany replied, "by people riding the breed of warhorses that your Gerudo raise. Since we'd heard you kept strict records, we were hoping that such a list could narrow down our search for the kidnappers."

Ganondorf nodded. "I see...you know, we don't allow outsiders to view our records."

"Please, Prince Ganondorf," Zelda pleaded, "her family worries about her so! Can you make an exception just this once?"

The Gerudo smirked. "I suppose I could...after all, if it was Yubira or another of my subjects that had gone missing, I would do the same. However," the dark man propped his elbows up on the table and intertwined his fingers, "none of us run around with old records on us."

"Then tell us where to find them!" Link joined in.

"Boy, you would _**roast**_ in the desert sun long before you ever found them."

"Then why don't you lead us to them?" Vaati said, his head still covered with the hood.

Ganondorf snorted. "Why would I bring a bunch of outsiders into my kingdom? Especially when those outsiders contain a couple of Hylian boys?"

Vaati began to snap a retort when Brittany beat him to it.

"_Two words_," the Empath held up her fingers. "_**Blood dept**_. Subira owes me, and you want me for a Gerudo."

The amused chatter of the other Gerudo died down a bit only to be replaced with concerned whispers. Ganondorf glowered at the impetuous maiden. Brittany refused to back down, however, and defiantly kept her eyes locked with the man's. Their staring contest continued for a few intense moments before the brute spoke.

"Usually, a glare like that could get a person killed," Ganondorf said.

Brittany gave him a wicked smirk. "Killing me means losing fresh blood, though," she reminded him as she cocked her head to the side. Ganondorf returned her smirk.

"Indeed, what a tart you are!" he let out a boisterous laugh and lowered his hands. "I'll take you to our kingdom. Not like you'll be tempted to lead anyone there-only a Gerudo can find it." He pushed out his chair and rose up. Stretching and heaving a yawn that would rival a bear's roar, he turned away from the table. "I suggest you four go make lodgings. I will send someone to wake you in the morning."

"How do we know you won't just leave us?" Vaati spat. The Gerudo turned around with a smug look on his face.

"I would not leave a potential Gerudo behind, boy," the prince coolly spoke. Then he turned and walked away, with several of the merchants following him. Yubira stood up.

"Well, now...you heard the man! Let's go find you all a place for the night."


	39. Between a Rock & a Hard Place

**CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE**

**"**_Between A Rock and a Hard Place_**"**

True to his word, Ganondorf sent several Gerudo to rouse everyone the next morning. They left the town early, before daylight, in order to traverse the greater part of the desert. Of course, the group was far bigger now-it had grown from a handful of brave youths to a small army once all of the Gerudo joined in. Various wagons and a multitude of women on horseback set off through the desert, with Ganondorf and Subira leading them. Yubira decided to hand around the prince for most of the morning, so Brittany saw her chance to talk to Vaati. She found him sitting with Link on the back of a wagon.

"Hey, you guys!" the brunette beamed a smile, eliciting a wave from Link and a nod from the mage. "Link...mind if I talk to him for a minute?"

The hero got the idea and grinned. "Sure...I'm gonna climb up front with Zelda, alright?" He turned and whispered something to the other youth, who promptly scowled and pushed him out of the wagon. Link just ran around the wagon laughing.

"What was that all about?" Brittany asked.

"Nothing. He's just acting foolish," the mage turned his head and glared into the wagon. "So," he looked up at the girl, "what did you wish to talk about?"

"Well, I haven't gotten to talk to you much in the past couple of days. Believe it or not," she looked up at the sunny sky, "I kinda started to miss you."

When Brittany looked back to the mage, she noticed that he had his hood had fallen over his face. He stared at the ground, unmoving. The girl let out a tiny sigh. Maybe he didn't want to talk to her after all?

"I also wanted to ask you something..."

"Yes?" he said, not even bothering to raise his head.

"When Altair knocked me off his back, you caught me," she stared at him, "didn't you? And then you pulled me out of the way when he nearly fell on me. I would've been crushed if you hadn't helped me. You really got me out of a bind back there, and I just wanted to tell you thanks." When he didn't reply, she hung her head. "I...guess that's all I wanted to say. I'll see you later."

Just as she turned her horse around, Vaati spoke up. "Wait! Wait, please..." Brittany looked over at him. "Don't leave yet."

Vaati pushed himself back against the wall of the wagon and propped an arm against his knee, letting the other leg swing freely over the side. Brittany pulled her horse around and trotted back over to the mage.

"I apologize for not being very attentive...um...not much rest, you see."

"Ah..." the girl shrugged. "No big deal. Happens to the best of us. Hey, Vaati?"

The youth turned to face her. "Hmm?"

"What do you think about me becoming a Gerudo?"

The question seemed to surprise the purple-haired Hylian. He looked down at the sand for a minute, then up at the sky. Finally, he leaned back against the wall and sighed.

"Is that not your choice to decide?"

"Yeah, but I wanna know what you think," Brittany insisted. "You seem to know more about them than I do."

An empty smirk spread across the mage's face. "All I know is that they lead very shrewd, independent lives and they stay in secluded desert villages when not on trading voyages. I don't really see the point in living in the middle of a wasteland."

"Not a fan of sand, I see?"

"No, and neither is Ezlo."

Brittany rolled her eyes. "Where is that annoying li'l guy, anyway?"

"Asleep in the wagon," he pointed inside.

"Hey, Vaati?"

"Yes?"

"What are you gonna do after we find Farore?"

The mage shook his head. "I don't know...go back to the treehouse with Ezlo, I suppose. Why," he gazed over at the girl, "what will you do? Do you really wish to join the desert people?"

"Well, they ARE supposed to be great swordswomen."

"Link and I can always teach you, and there are guru throughout the world you could train under."

"They're good traders and some of them can dance-"

"Apprentice yourself under Smithy or join the troupe with Din."

Brittany put her hand on her hip. "If I didn't know any better," she mused, "I'd think you didn't want me to become a Gerudo."

"I already said that is your business-"

"So, you don't want me to come back to Hyrule, then?" Vaati's eyes widened ever so slightly. "I'm not the biggest fan of the desert myself. I don't think I'd like dumping sand outta my shoes every few steps. But, if you think I'd be better off here-"

"_**NO!**_"

The Empath nearly feel off of her horse when Vaati shouted.

"Um...I mean," the mage nervously stuttered, "do what you like. It's your life."

Brittany beamed a wide grin at him. "So...oh, I don't know..." she averted her eyes for a moment. "...If I should, say, ask you to hang out with me before the Picori Gate closes again...would you...?"

Vaati giggled and shot her a wicked glance. "I'd be delighted to, Brittany."

"Hey, you two!"

The duo looked up to see Link and Zelda clambering through the wagon. Both of them were smiling like a pair of Cheshire cats, and the princess had her hand up trying to stifle her giggles. They plopped down in the wagon beside of Vaati.

"So, Brittany," Zelda asked, "did you _properly_ thank Vaati for saving your life?"

The Empath cocked her head to the side in confusion. "What do you mean?" The royal and hero exchanged grins.

"Well," Link said in an innocent tone, "when I saved Zelda from being a statue-" the princess smiled. "-she gave me a kiss to thank me."

"_Do __**WHAT?**_"

Brittany and Vaati shouted loud enough to get the attention of nearly half the Gerudo. They hushed for a moment until the women's attention directed them elsewhere, but the blush on the girl's face was enough to speak volumes.

"Shhh, you two might wake Ezlo!" Link warned.

"B-b-but..." Brittany barely managed to sputter out. "Me...him..._kiss?_"

"Absolutely!" Zelda chimed. "It's only proper that a girl should show her thanks by bestowing such a tiny gesture of gratitude upon the man who saved her."

"C-can't we j-just shake hands or something?" Vaati flushed. Zelda shook her head.

"No, it's gotta be a kiss. Just a quick peck on the cheek will suffice. Why," Link teased, "you don't mind if Brittany kisses you, do you Vaati?"

"Come on, Brittany..." Zelda gestured toward the mage, "_Thank _Vaati!"

Brittany nearly died of embarrassment right there. She looked over at the hooded mage. With insistent stares from her blonde companions, she heaved a sigh and urged her horse forward a bit. When she got close enough to the wagon, Vaati raised his head and pulled his hood back a bit. Gulping, her heart beating in her throat, Brittany gazed down into the youth's handsome face. He pulled himself into a kneeling position as she leaned in.

None of them could have expected what happened next. As if by some humorous quirk of Fate, about the time the Empath and the mage's faces were a few inches apart, the wagon hit the one rock in the whole desert that decided to stick up out of the sands. When the wheel struck the stone, the wagon lurched-jarring everything inside. This, of course, caused the people in the wagon to bounce...including Vaati. What should have become a quick peck on the cheek resulted in a very red-faced Empath getting her first kiss.

Zelda and Link watched in shock as the duo slammed faces. Vaati, who had been sitting too close to the edge of the wagon, nearly bounced out of it. He instinctively grabbed for the nearest object to catch his balance-which, as it turned out, happened to be Brittany's shoulder. The mage nearly pulled the hapless girl from her horse, so when Vaati accidentally jerked her towards him, she had latched onto his cloak from falling. And so, there they were:

The human and mage liplocked, Vaati's hand on Brittany's shoulder and her fingers wrapped in the cloak on the mage's back.

"_**Whoo-HOO! You go, Little Heroine!**_"

Brittany and Vaati were too shocked to even break the kiss-they just sort of stared, wide-eyed, at one another until what had happened sunk in. By the time it finally registered, Link and Zelda were rolling with laughter in the floor of the wagon and half a dozen Gerudo were hollering catcalls. The duo finally realized just what had taken place and practically sprang away from one another.

"Oh...my God..." Brittany said, bringing her fingers to her lips.

"Geez, man," Link barely managed to pant between laughs, "I didn't say you had to eat each other's faces off! Oh, what I'd have given to have had a pictograph box with me..."

"Can it, Link!" Vaati snapped. The mage turned around to the red-faced girl and furiously began to apologize. "I am so sorry, Brittany! It was an accident-honest!"

"My goodness, Brittany," Zelda chimed in, "you act as though you had never been kissed before!"

The girl was silent. She just stared at the fingers she had put to her lips, shocked. Everyone's eyes widened.

"You mean _he_," Link pointed to Vaati, "was your first kiss? Oh, that's priceless!"

While Link broke out in another fit of laughter, Brittany tugged on Altair's mane and sped the horse away into the crowd of Gerudo. Vaati quickly pulled his hood back over his head, jumped down from the wagon and bolted after her. Zelda punched Link in the shoulder.

"Be serious, would you!"

"C'mon, Zelda," Link tried to catch his breath, "did you see the look on their faces when they kissed? Vaati was like-" he threw his hands back and gaped like a fish.

Th princess attempted to hold a straight face but burst out giggling. "Yeah, that was pretty funny...poor Brittany, though. She ran off."

"Hey, let's climb up front and see where they went!"

"Okay!"

The two Hylians scrambled for the front of the wagon. In the meantime, Ezlo was recovering from being jarred awake. When the Picori's senses finally returned to him, he looked around the empty wagon.

"HEY!" the sage yelled. "Where did everybody go?"


	40. Fleeing and Flirting

**CHAPTER FOURTY**

**"**_Fleeing and Flirting_**"**

She ran-or, to be precise, she rode-as fast as Altair could carry her through the convoy of Gerudo.

_Dammit all! Running again! Just like old times..._Brittany mentally cursed herself. _Why can't I just stay for once? It's not like he meant to kiss me...crap, why is my heart beating so fast? I don't like him like that! I don't-_**I don't!**

Altair slipped between two wagons, temporarily hiding the anxious Empath. Once she was out of plain sight, she slumped down against the horse's neck and buried her face in his mane.

"What's _**wrong**_ with me, Altair?" she mumbled. "Why do I freak out whenever I start getting close to someone? Damn it all...why do I always do this...?"

"Brittany! _Brittany!_ Where are you?"

The Empath didn't bother to look around. Instead, she clung to her horse in hopes that Vaati would just overlook her. Unfortunately for her, the mage was much more observant than she had hoped (although, the huge warhorse she was sitting on didn't help much with stealth). She heard the mage running up to her.

"There you are!" he panted. "Brittany, I am so sorry. It was-"

"An accident," the girl mumbled. "I know."

"Oh...well, then...I guess I'll be headed back now..."

"Vaati..."

"Yes?" the mage looked up as Brittany half turned around. She stared forward, neither completely facing nor avoiding her pal. Sit sat up straight and heaved a sigh.

"Look...I never meant to run off like that," the Empath admitted. "I just...do that when I get embarrassed, is all."

"I see..."

Brittany sensed something amiss in his voice and whipped around. "Um...not that I'm embarrassed of you or anything like that! It was just, well," she blushed, "an awkward way to get my first kiss, you know? Especially with all of those Gerudo whistling at us..."

Vaati strolled over and patted Altair's neck. "If it's any consolation," the mage smirked, "it was _my_ first kiss, too."

The girl blinked in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes," he replied as he walked along beside of her horse. "I...I've never really been a popular Picori. Evil demon sorcerer, remember? Not exactly the kind of guy someone would want to court."

"But you were such a cute Picori!" Brittany exclaimed. "Any girl imp would have to be nuts not to like you! You're smart, sweet, and a talented mage-what's not to like?"

A slight smile tugged at Vaati's lips. "You're just saying that to make me feel better..."

"No, I'm not! If people got to know you better, they'd really love you. Besides, you've got killer looks for a Hylian, too. The only reason some of those girls didn't catcall was because I got your first kiss and they didn't."

Without realizing it, Brittany's normally blunt nature had an adverse effect on Vaati. He looked up at her, his fiery ruby eyes gleaming in the bright desert sunlight, and smirked.

"You think I'm handsome?"

"Um...well, yeah! I mean, just look at yourself...you're not a big brute like most of the men around here. And you've got nice long hair..." Brittany could feel a slight blush creeping onto her face. "You look more like a noble than most of the aristocracy back in Hyrule. Hell, you look better than half the _women_ I know, let alone the guys!"

Vaati let out one of his oddly-pitched giggles. "I don't know about that, now, but you must be in the half that looks better than me."

"Me? Pffft!" Brittany scoffed. "What's to like about a short, chunky girl with thin hair? Nah, I'm talking about people like Zelda-slim and elegant." She sighed. "I don't know how I'd ever even fit in with the Gerudo, with the way they wear everything. If I wore a choli like Yubira does, I'd look more like a bellydancing moblin than a desert girl."

Vaati scowled at her. "You're not chunky-you're curvy."

"Sure, if you like chu-chus..."

"I'm serious!"

"C'mon," she rolled her eyes, "can you honestly tell me that men prefer ugly, shapeless blobs of fat to trim, pretty girls? No-the skinnier a girl is, the better she'd treated."

"Is that something that your mother told you?"

"Her? Ha! She was more of a stick than most adolescent girls I knew. No, that's the way the world was where I lived." the duo walked on in silence for a few moments. "If you weren't thin enough, not only would few guys respect you, but you were discriminated in other ways, too. A lot of really skinny girls used to starve themselves because they thought they were too fat. I even knew some that would make themselves throw up from guilt after eating anything."

Vaati looked horrified. "Why would anyone harm herself so?"

Brittany gave him a sad smile. "You do crazy things...when you're in love. I should know..."

The mage looked up at the Empath. "You were in love?"

"Once...a long time ago," she sighed. "He was my best friend for about four years. It took me a long time before I realized I liked him, but after I finally told him I kept running away. I guess I didn't wanna be judged by him the same way mother did..."

She went silent for a moment.

"Anyway, I started fixing my hair more often, wearing make-up and more girlish clothing when I was around him. I exercised as hard as I could, too, until I hurt my knee. Eventually, when my father cheated on my mother and left, I stopped eating and I got a bit skinnier-so I kept at it because I thought that he'd like me more. I was so happy when, just two days before we graduated high school, that he told me he loved me. Boy, was I ever the fool to believe he meant that..."

Vaati frowned. "What happened?"

Brittany sighed again. "As it turns out, not long after I last saw him, he reconciled with his girlfriend-who was much prettier than me-and they went to get married. They broke up before the wedding, but that didn't matter any," the brunette stared off into space. "What a fool I was...to think anyone would love someone as horribly fat and ugly as I-"

"Brittany," Vaati said, "you are one of the most interesting individuals that I have ever met. You compare yourself to that other girl based solely on looks. Would she have befriended a demon? Would she have risked her life to save two people she had never met? Has she been invited to become a Gerudo?" the mage scowled. "So _what_ if your friend did not choose you for a bride-it was his folly!"

The girl flushed crimson again. "Th-thank you..."

"If you truly wish to thank me," the purple-haired Hylian said, "then do not be so hard on yourself. It pains me to hear you speak so lowly of yourself. Now, if you will excuse me," he steeped away from the horse, "I must go check on Ezlo."

"Okay...see you later."

Vaati looked down at the ground and began to walk away. As he went to step out into the crowd, he shouted to her.

"By the way..." he glanced over his shoulder, "I think you would look very pretty in Gerudo attire, Brittany. Farewell."

The mage disappeared into the crowd, leaving a smiling Empath in his wake.

For a place that was seared by the sun during the day, the Desert Wastes were unnaturally frigid at night. The Gerudo completely transformed as dusk fell, going from skimpy merchant attire to wearing full-length cloaks. Brittany was never so happy to have brought her coat with her (the whole night, she kept it zipped to the top). She pulled the oversized neck of the garment up to her nose to stave off the biting chill of the night wind.

The caravan pulled the wagons in a huge circle so that only a few spaces remained between each of them. The horses were tied along the sides so they could not wander off-including Altair, who would have followed Brittany everywhere if he had the chance. The Empath helped some of the women fill the animals' troughs with water and hay before making her way towards the bonfire in the center of the ring. She knelt down on the small rug that her Hylian friends shared and quickly ate the chunk of bread and dried meat she had been given.

"Brrrr!" said the Empath. "I never imagined the desert would be so cold at night!"

"There's no foliage or thick soil to hold the heat, and the barren land does not provide any natural wind breaks," Vaati chimed in, "so it does not surprise me."

"You know everything, don't'cha?" Link mused. He turned and looked to Zelda. "You warm enough, Zel?"

The princess may have been covered by her long blue cloak, but it was obvious she was chilling. She frantically rubbed her arms to generate body heat. Link put his arm around her shoulders and pulled as much of his cloak around the both of them as possible.

"Th-th-thank y-you, L-L-Link..." Zelda's teeth chattered. Link smiled as she snuggled in closer to him. Sighing contently, the freezing princess tugged her cloak around part of her face and laid her head against the hero's chest. Brittany felt herself rejuvenated by just watching the touching scene. Deep down, she wished that she could stand physical contact enough to be like the Hylian couple.

"Hey, lovebirds!"

Brittany whirled around to see Yubira come bounding across the ring with a bundle of blankets in her arms.

"'Lovebirds'...?"

"Oh, don't be so modest!" the merchant said. "I saw your little smooch earlier!"

Brittany laughed nervously and Vaati lowered his head.

"Hey, is this the lucky guy?" she pointed toward the hooded boy.

"It was an accident, Yubira-"

"_No_ kiss is an accident. Now," she turned to Vaati, "why don't we get a look-see at your beau, huh?" Yubira dropped the blankets on a corner of the mat and reached for the mage. The Hylians' eyes widened.

"Wait, don't...!"

Before anyone had a chance to react, Yubira had grabbed onto Vaati's hood. The mage tried to push her away, but the desert girl kept a hold on the fabric. Brittany protested by latching onto the girl's cloak and coming up with every excuse know to man.

"C'mon, he's had a long day...leave the poor guy alone."

"I just...grr...wanna have a," she struggled with the youth's hood. "...ur...look at him! Ha!"

In one swift movement, the desert girl ripped the hood out of Vaati's hands and pulled it over his head. Brittany looked on in horror as Yubira let out a gasp.

"Why, it's no WONDER you didn't want me to see him!"

_Oh, Lord...she knows who he is...!_ screamed the Empath's mind. _Oh, snap-what are we gonna do?_ Brittany braced herself for the worst...

"He's _**gorgeous!**_"

"Huh?" Brittany gawked at the Gerudo.

"You sneaky little thing," Yubira grinned wildly at the maiden, "you've been hogging this hottie all to yourself!"

The Empath blinked in shock for a few moments. When she finally realized that Vaati's identity was safe, she let out a sigh of relief. Grinning, she felt the blood rush to her face as the brevity of the situation sunk in.

"Well, looks like you've got good taste," said Yubira. "What's his name?"

Brittany's eyes widened. _OH, CRAP! His name...he needs a name! C'mon...think of something! Think, think, think-_

"Varlan. My name is Varlan."

_Nice save, Vaati._

"Varlan, huh?" Yubira wrinkled her nose. "That's a pretty strange name. Then again, so is 'Brittany'." The Gerudo let out a giggle and stood up. "Okay, I'll see you lovebirds tomorrow. Hold onto this one, Little Heroine-the other girls might just try to steal him from you."

With a wink to the brunette, the grinning Yubira bounced off across the lot once more. When she was out of hearing distance, everyone let out a huge sigh of relief. Brittany let out another nervous laugh.

"'_Varlan_'? That's the best name you could come up with?"

Vaati flipped his hood back over his head and shrugged.

"Smooth, man...real smooth."

Everyone began to chuckle. Zelda let out a yawn.

"Why don't we grab our blankets and hit the sack?" Link suggested. "It's gonna be another long, hot day tomorrow."

"Right," Brittany said, handing a couple of blankets to the youth as he and Zelda stood. She grabbed her own bedding and headed toward a wagon. Rather than cram inside with a bunch of the Gerudo, she decided to make her bed outside with Altair. The horse lowered himself to the ground as she approached, so she tossed one blanket over his side and nuzzled up against his flank with the other draped over herself. He let out a contented snort as the maiden slipped away from reality and into the realm of slumber.


	41. Tribe of the South

**CHAPTER FOURTY-ONE**

**"**_Tribe of the South_**"**

Vaati had never been a heavy sleeper. After making sure Ezlo was still comfortably hidden in the back of the wagon Ganondorf had allowed his male guests to share, the mage decided to take advantage of the quiet. He sat at the end of the wagon and stared up at the sky for the longest time. The cold was a bit of an annoyance, but other than that nighttime in the desert was not so bad. The chattering of the Gerudo had long since died away, leaving only the sounds of the light breeze whipping between the wagons and the breathing of the sleeping horses. Now and then, he would hear Link or Ezlo grumble unconsciously, but he just ignored them.

His thoughts numbed him to the surrounding camp. Sighing, he leaned back against the wall with the day's earlier events coursing in his mind. Sure, he had wanted to turn both Link and Zelda into stone at the time-especially with the way the former had teased him right when Brittany had shown up to talk-but he found himself smiling at the thought of the Empath's kiss. He remembered the nervous way she leaned in to him, how flushed her face had been, the way her breath fell on his face when the bump brought them together, and the warmth of her lips against his own.

He smiled again. Even if it _was_ an accident, he could not manage to get the kiss out of his mind. He trailed his fingers over the hand he had grabbed her shoulder with. Everything about her was soft: her skin, her tiny hands, her lips...everything. Looking out of the wagon, he could see her curled up against Altair's side with her blanket pulled snug around her. His eyes softened as they fell upon her face.

_So childlike,_ he mused. _Like a little angel._

The wind swept her chestnut hair across her face. Oh, how he longed to just reach down and brush away one of those silky locks! He felt a strange ache in his chest as he watched her form rise and fall with the horse's side.

_Why do I feel like this? It's like I can't take my eyes off of her..._

He sighed. When she had gone off to face the Helmaroc, he had been so frightened-he hadn't felt fear like that since the cap's magic had transformed him into a demon. Of course, the thought of getting her back only to lose her to the Gerudo had ticked him off to no end, but he was having a very difficult time understanding _why_. Never had he felt so strongly about anyone in all of his life! Ever since she had returned from her battle, he felt himself drawn closer to her. His heart melted with her smiles and her words became music to him.

That's why he didn't understand why anyone could hurt her. Thinking about how she had harmed herself to please an ungrateful mother and sweetheart caused his blood to boil. He could understand _his_ being ostracized-he tried to wipe Hyrule off the map, after all-but Brittany was innocent! Thoughts of the fits she had back in Hyrule sickened him.

He swore that he would find a way to heal her heart, no matter what the consequences.

"Un...no..."

Vaati's eyes widened as his friend's body began to jerk suddenly. It was subtle at first, but it soon grew worse to the point where she was tossing about. Altair let out a worried whinny and Vaati jumped down off of the wagon. He knelt down by the horse's back and frowned.

_Another nightmare..._he thought, reaching his hand out to smooth her hair. _I wish I could help her somehow..._

Suddenly, a thought came to him. Ezlo said that simple magic could not heal her heart, but he had said nothing about stopping her nightmares! A soft spell formed on his lips and his fingers began to glow. Placing his palm on her forehead, he closed his eyes and began to concentrate.

_I just hope this works..._

A low hum began to resound from the mage's hands. Soon, the young woman ceased flailing about. At last, Brittany gave a faint whimper and was still. Vaati opened his eyes once the girl had returned to a peaceful slumber and sighed. He took his hand away from her face, then propped himself up against Altair's side.

_Ah...it worked! _he smirked. _That should hold until morning, anyway._

Taking one last look at the sleeping maiden, he put his hands against the horse and tried to raise himself. When he went to stand, however, he was overcome by a rush of dizziness that sent him falling back to his knees.

_Damn...must've used up more energy than I thought_, he looked over at Brittany. She looked so calm in her slumber. Vaati smiled.

_But it was worth it if she gets her rest._

Carefully, he eased himself to his feet and staggered back to the wagon. The moment he pulled himself inside, he passed out.

Brittany noticed a sharp decrease in her nightmares over the next few days. At first, it had begun with one particularly frightening terror that had panned out into a pleasant dream-something that had never happened since she had her first fit.

Everyone seemed to notice her change in mood. She perked up to the point to where her energy rivaled even that of Yubira's. With her renewed enthusiasm and some free time on her hands, she was finally able to get a sword-fighting lesson out of Link (Vaati loaned her his weapon since she had not yet found a replacement-he seemed too tired to use it, anyway). By the time they reached the Southern Gerudo lands, she finally had developed some crude skill with the blade.

"We're here, Brittany!" Yubira shouted as the kingdom came into view. "Welcome to our home!"

The kingdom itself was over six times the size of Hyrule Castle Town and the entire thing was contained within a grand stone fortress. The city itself consisted of simple pueblo-styled houses, each dwelling stacked on top of one another. The major business-the horse training grounds-and a few tiny fields were situated around a vast oasis at the center of the metropolis.

However, their destination ended with the palace. The grand structure was far smaller than Hyrule Castle but it had its own charm. On each of its four corners was a minaret tower, and it was built from heavy stone not found in the desert. Considering its weathered foundation, Brittany figured that it must have taken many years to build such a place.

While the majority of the Gerudo had stopped to unload their wares, Ganondorf, Subira, her daughter, and the rescue party from Hyrule continued to the palace. They left their horses with the stables in the courtyard and went inside. Apparently, some sort of celebration was ready to take place, because the main hall of the palace was bustling with people scrubbing the place from top to bottom. Huge tapestries were draped over the walls and a multitude of tables were being set up along the throne room.

The moment they stepped through the doors, a Gerudo saw the prince and ran to meet him.

"Lord Ganondorf!" shouted a portly woman. "You have returned!"

"Hello, Ruella. How fares the preparations?"

"Oh, they are coming along swimmingly, Your Majesty! Since all of the girls save one have returned, they should be ready by tomorrow morning..."

Ganondorf shook his head. "No, I require them finished tonight. I bring the daughter of the Grand Vizier with me."

Ruella peeked her head around the man. "Ah, so you have! But," the woman's eyes widened, "who are these strangers with whom you travel? My liege, there are _men_...!"

The dark prince turned around and let out a hardy laugh. "Heh, you need not fret, Ruella-these are guests are welcome at my palace. Please see to it that four more places are set at my table. Oh," he looked over at Brittany, "and expect another girl to be in the ceremony."

The rotund merchant seemed surprised at her master's words, but she made no fuss. With a bow, she scurried off to the Gerudo carrying in the tables. Ganondorf turned around to face his guests.

"Now, the Grand Vizier and I must see to the ceremony's preparations, but I invite you to take a look around. Yubira," the dark prince said, "why not give your potential new sister and her companions a tour of the city? Let them return to Hyrule knowing proper Gerudo hospitality."

And with that, off Ganondorf went. Subira gave a small nod to her daughter and followed suit. Yubira grabbed hold of Brittany's wrist and grinned.

"Come! Lemme show you around!" beamed the maiden. "You will love it here, Brittany, I just know it!"

The Empath was thus dragged outside, her friends swiftly darting along behind. For the next few hours, the tiny party was shown practically every nook and cranny in the kingdom. Brittany marveled at the unique realm within which her desert friend lived. She walked along in fascination at how the Gerudo lived. Everywhere, the dark-skinned women were going about their work tending the few fields, pampering their prized horses or some other business. She smiled when several little girls, dressed in miniature versions of their mothers' outfits, began to follow along behind her. It took all she could do not to go 'aww' when a feisty pair of twins decided to latch themselves to Vaati's cloak.

Eventually, Yubira led Brittany's group into one of the pueblo dwellings. Pushing her way through the elaborately beaded curtain that hung over the door, she made her way inside.

"HELLO! Anybody home?" the girl shouted. She put one hand on her hip and smiled. "I hope she's here-"

Just then, an anonymous Gerudo maiden about the same age as Yubira stepped out of the adjoining room. "Yubira!" she cried in surprise, then rushed to embrace the girl. "You've returned! Oh, I was so frightened when I heard you were attacked by the Helmaroc," as she broke their hug, the other Gerudo noticed the people standing behind her friend.

"Yubira, who are these strangers?"

"Oh, them? Ganondorf's guests," the merchant replied. Her friend gasped and glanced at her friend in shock.

"Are these the people everyone's been talking about?"

Yubira nodded. "Mmm-hmm! And this one," she gestured to Brittany, "is the girl who saved my life. Carmella, meet my new friend Brittany-otherwise known as Little Heroine." The other Gerudo smiled politely and bowed. "Brittany, this is Carmella-daughter of Ruella and one of my dear friends."

"Pleased to meet you, Carmella," the Empath smiled.

"So it's true...she _does_ have round ears!" said Carmella. "Does Ganondorf really plan to make her one of us?"

"Yes, he does. He's even planned to include her in the ceremony tonight-"

"_Tonight?_ You mean he speeded the preparations up?"

Yubira giggled. "That's Ganondorf for you! Always impatient-everything has to be done yesterday for him."

"I'm surprised he hasn't sent you to the stocks with how you so informally speak of him," Carmella shook her head.

"Aww, he knows I'm just being silly," laughed the maiden. "Anyway, how did your journey fare? Was it a success?"

Carmella smirked. "Oh, it _was _a success," she confidently lulled. "I do believe that my treasure shall create quite the stir tonight. I hope your new friends," she gazed over at the party, "will join us. I assure you that it will be an event unlike any other."

A shiver ran up Brittany's spine as Carmella's eyes settled on her. There was something strangely chilling in her gaze. She glanced over at Vaati, whose hood had fallen off as he struggled with the toddlers currently wrapped around his legs. Giving a slight bow, she headed into the other room and out of sight. Yubira and the others then left the dwelling and headed back into the street.

"Um, Yubira?" Brittany asked.

"Yes, what is it?" she turned to face the brunette. "You sound worried...is something wrong?"

The Empath nodded. "You mentioned that Prince Ganondorf had planned for my being in the ceremony," replied the maiden. "Why?"

"Why? Brittany, you are to take part in our Right of Passage ceremony!" Yubira exclaimed.

Brittany narrowed her eyes. "Wait...don't I need a treasure to do that? I'm sorry but I have nothing to present-"

"Yes, you do."

"Huh?" she raised an eyebrow. Yubira dug into the pouch on her side and pulled out two of the four Helmaroc feathers.

"The ceremony is not just a transition to adulthood," said the maiden. "It also determines your beginner's status in our world. During the ceremony, we are graded according to four vital elements. These were to be determined on our fortnight journeys, but yours will be based on the past few days."

"That hardly seems fair!" protested Zelda.

Yubira smirked. "Perhaps, but Little Heroine has more than what she needs to pass the ceremony," she placed the two feathers in the brunette's hands. "The elements are body, mind, spirit and heart. Our bodies were tested to see if we could weather travel outside of the kingdom. Our mental strength is determined by the value of the treasure that we obtain-the rarer and more difficult the item is to obtain, the better we score. The spiritual exam is the best one, if you ask me, because that is when we show one of our personal talents. Our hearts, which a Gerudo considers the most important aspect of her character, must be vouched for by four witnesses."

Brittany looked at the feathers in her hands. "I cannot accept these...you risked your life for them! I refuse to take something so precious from you."

"No, those rightfully belong to you," Yubira replied. "You slew the Helmaroc along with me so you deserve your fair share of the loot. Besides, you need a treasure for the mind part of the exam. Since you obviously can handle life on the trail, the body part is no problem. And you have no short supply of recommendations. Now, all we need is a talent for you...what are you good at?"

"I can draw..."

Yubira shook her head. "Nah, we need a performance art for you! How about close-range combat?"

"I'm a novice at sword-fighting," Brittany admitted, "but I'm a decent shot with a bow..."

"I wouldn't do archery if I were you. That's Ayala's specialty-I'd hate to have you competing with her in the ceremony. I dunno what Carmella's gonna do, but it'll probably be something mystical since her mother's the village shaman."

Brittany gulped. "Well...I can...dance...a little..."

"That's perfect!" Yubira chimed. "Why, I can provide the music on my guitar and we can do our spiritual exams at the same time! C'mon," she grabbed hold of Brittany's wrist, "let's go get you ready!"

"Hey, but what about my friends?" Yubira looked around at the three Hylians.

"Why don't you guys go give Ruella a hand? She needs all the help she can get since Ganny wants the ceremony to take place tonight. Now, c'mon Brittany-we've got practicing to do!"


	42. Rites of Passage

**CHAPTER FOURTY-TWO**

**"**_Rites of Passage_**"**

Vaati sighed. Brittany had been gone for hours. Ever since Yubira had dragged her off to get ready for the performance, he hadn't seen hide nor hair of the Empath. He dropped the rag he had been washing the wall with back into the bucket, then stood and popped his back.

"Ezlo, where do you suppose she could be?" he whispered.

The imp on his shoulder shrugged. "Don't ask me..." he grumbled.

"What's wrong with you? You've been grouchier than usual!"

Ezlo whacked the boy in the head with his stick. "Instead of worrying about that nit, you should be looking for those records!"

"You heard Ganondorf," Vaati reminded him. "He's not looking for them until the ceremony is over." His teacher let out a frustrated grunt.

"Besides, something else troubles me...I take it you noticed the Empath's reaction around the one called Carmella?" the mage nodded. "I suppose you are just as concerned as I."

"She had the same look in her eyes that night of her fit...the same look she gets when she talks about her mother."

Ezlo nodded. "There was something fishy about that girl. Could you not sense it?"

"Let's not jump to conclusions, Ezlo. You heard Yubira-she's a fortune-teller. She could be part Wind Person. It doesn't necessarily mean she's involved in the oracle's disappearance. After all, I only sensed a slight magic in her. It would have taken a great deal more power to knock out Moosh. Still..." Vaati gave a quick glance around the empty hall, "...it wouldn't be a bad idea to keep an eye on her for a while. There could be a connection."

Just as the mage reached down to pick up the bucket, he spotted Link and Zelda running up to him.

"Vaati, hurry up!" the hero shouted.

"Yes, they are about to begin the ceremony," added Zelda. "Subira says we should go take our seats."

The mage nodded and sat the bucket down, then followed the pair into the huge throneroom-which, by now, was swarming with Gerudo. At the far end of the room sat Ganondorf, whom had elected to sit in the center of a table rather than on his throne. Subira, Ruella, and another woman sat along his left side. Ruella waved to them.

"Good evening, Prince Ganondorf," Zelda bowed as she reached the front of the table.

"Good evening to you, miss," he waved to the table on his right. "Please take your seats. The ceremony is about to begin."

Once his guests were seated, the prince stood and raised his arms. A sudden hush fell over the room.

"My fellow Gerudo!" boomed the man, causing Vaati to flinch from the sheer volume of the voice. "Every year, we gather together to celebrate the Right of Passage of our girls. This year, we have had the pleasure to witness the ceremony for three of our most beloved sisters' daughters-including the child of Grand Vizier herself."

Applause and cheers roared from the mob of desert women. Ganondorf held up a hand after a few moments and all was quiet again.

"Also, we have a fourth young woman joining our ranks! While she hails from neither our Southern nor our Northern kingdoms, this girl has the potential to become one of us should she pass her four exams."

An odd murmur, crossed between excitement and disbelief, rippled through the crowd.

"Now..." Ganondorf clapped. "Bring forth the maidens!"

Silence fell upon the chamber as Ganondorf took his seat. A few of the Gerudo rose from their tables to douse some of the lighted braziers on the walls. Once the room had been darkened, one of the women ran out into the hall. Within moments, she returned with several others-each of them carrying a musical instrument. The musicians hurried behind the tables and took up position around the throne's platform. After they were settled, one of them gave a rattle of her tambourine and another a tap upon her drum.

The tune began softly at first, then slowly rose-much like a heartbeat. Vaati looked toward the archway the musicians had entered through and saw a flicker of light. A torch-bearer appeared at the door. Timing herself with the drumbeat, she took a step forward into the room. Behind her came four cloaked figures and three more torch-bearers, one on each side of the group. They slowly marched into the chamber until they were at its center, then the cloaked figures each knelt down on a rug that been placed especially for that purpose. The music ended and the torch-bearers went to relight the braziers.

Once the light returned, Vaati could see that each of the girls wore a different colored cloak. In the front was a tall, thin being in green, then two similarly sized girls in blue and red, and finally a shorter figure in purple. Vaati grinned-the purple one just _had_ to be Brittany.

"Ayala, daughter of Nala the Master Archer!"

The girl in the green cloak stood and threw back her hood, revealing a coy smile. She stepped forth and laid a cloth bundle down before Ganondorf.

"My liege," the maiden bowed low, "as my treasure, I bring you this arrow. It has been imbued with the magic of the Wind People so that it may cut through any wind, no matter how fearsome, and still find it's mark."

The young woman stepped back and bowed. She motioned to one of the torch-bearers, who took a small two-candle candelabra from the table. After lighting it, she carefully made her way to the far end of the chamber and placed it on her head. Another Gerudo came running up to Ayala with a bow, while the other two brought her a pair of flaming arrows.

"As my talent, I will successfully light those two candles at once without harming their bearer."

The maiden carefully took the arrows from the women and notched them to her bowstring. Then, taking careful aim, she released her hold. With a _twang!_ the arrows raced toward the helpless woman. Everyone held their breath as the projectiles flew closer to their target. Finally, the arrows rushed over the torch-bearer's head, lighting both candles and embedding themselves into the heavy wooden door behind. Vaati let out a sigh of relief as cheers erupted from around the room. Ayala bowed.

"Ayala," Ganondorf boomed, "you have passed your Mind and Spirit exams. You have returned safely from your first fruitful journey, so you also pass your Body exam. But whom here with vouch for your Heart?"

Ruella and three other Gerudo stood. After giving testimony on how her archer's keen eyes had prevented her being swindled on her trip, Ganondorf nodded and commanded they sit down.

"Very well, Ayala...you have passed the Exam of the Heart," he smirked. "Please join your sisters as a full-fledged Gerudo."

The crowd broke into a roar of whoops and cheers as the coy maiden took her place beside of her mother. Ganondorf nodded and turned to the remaining girls.

"Yubira, daughter of Grand Vizier Subira!"

The girl in the red cloak hopped to her feet and darted over to the table. She flipped her hood off, bowed, then stood still. Ganondorf looked to Subira and nodded.

"...And Brittany, Little Heroine of Hyrule!"

The crowd gasped and began to murmur as the girl in the purple cloak rose. Slowly, proudly, she stepped forward until she was beside of Yubira. The girls raised their cupped hands.

"Sire..."

"Prince Ganondorf..."

"...As our treasure, we bring you the scalp feathers of the mighty Helmaroc."

By now, the whole room was chattering. The excited din increased as the girls opened their hands to reveal the four feathers. They sat the pinions down beside of Ayala's magical arrow and bowed. Yubira snapped her fingers and one of the torch-bearers came running over with her guitar.

"My liege, as my talent," she took the guitar from the servant and slipped the strap over her shoulder, "I will serenade you with a melody from my instrument."

"And I," Brittany spoke, "shall _**dance**_."

The young women walked until they were mid-way between the kneeling girl and the royal table. Brittany undid the top button of her cloak as the torch-bearer hustled over to take it from her.

The moment the Gerudo stepped out of the way, Vaati nearly fell out of his chair. There, standing before him, was the Empath in complete desert attire. Her chestnut hair had been curled and now lay in ringlets over her shoulders and back. A veil of yellow draped over her face, hiding everything between her nose and collarbone. A bright orange choli with long yellow tassels dangling from the bottom fell down her midriff. A long golden skirt with a hip-high slit garbed her legs, and an orange coin scarf was bound over that.

Yubira sat down on her mat. "Enjoy, folks." Then she struck a chord.

The same strange melody flowed through the Gerudo palace as it had done in Hyrule Castle Town the day of the Picori Festival. Vaati watched as the Empath whipped around with the first notes of the song, her arms criss-crossing in front of herself and then raising above her head. His eyes followed the every undulation of her fingers, the swaying of her hips and movements of her feet. Time seemed to coast to a halt as she spun, her hair whirling around her face and the pleats of her skirt revealing the leg beneath the slit in the cloth. Ezlo jabbed him in the neck with his staff several times, but he never even noticed.

He was too entranced.

Finally, Yubira plucked the last note and Brittany dropped to one knee. The crowd nearly went into an uproar, shouting cheers and hollering whoops of praise to Yubira and the Empath. The whole royal table rose to their feet and clapped. The desert girl helped her friend to her feet and the duo bowed. They walked back to the table where Ganondorf sat and smiled.

"What a performance!" exclaimed the prince. "I doubt I need say how your Spirit Exam went. And with these priceless feathers," Ganondorf lifted one of the pinions, "your have most certainly excelled in Mind."

Yubira beamed wildly and Brittany blushed.

"Now...to speak of the Body..." Ganondorf stood and raised his arms. "My loyal subjects, you do not know how fortunate we are to have such brave young women with us! When Yubira first left on her journey, I knew she would bring back an interesting treasure. Yet I never dreamed how precious the cost almost was..."

He gazed down at the young woman in red, sending a strange pang running through Brittany's ribcage.

"Our little Yubira nearly lost her life trying to save a young Holodrum boy from the dreaded Helmaroc. She grabbed onto the child as the demon swooped upon him and was carried to its mountain lair. Using a handful of bones, she temporarily blinded the beast so she and the boy could escape into a crevice in the wall. Eventually, the demon became gave up on them and left."

Now Ganondorf gestured to Brittany.

"And this young woman," he smirked, "and her party was attacked later in the day. To avenge the nearly-lethal wounds the demonic falcon inflicted upon her friend, she set out on her own to slay it. She ran into Yubira's travel companions, who told her of their plight. Taking a spear from our own Grand Vizier, she rode until the mountain path ran out, then climbed the rest of the way to the creature's nest. She met with Yubira, gave her the spear, and together they attacked the monster. Brittany drove her sword into the creature's back, which it later slammed into its organs-effectively killing the demon and saving both boy and our sister."

Ganondorf looked out over the crowd. "Who can vouch for these young women?"

Subira and her two handmaidens rose.

"We can assure you the tale is true," Subira spoke. "I still have the spear that Yubira sliced off the monster's toe with, and Brittany's shirt is still heavily stained with its blood."

Ganondorf nodded. "As for the fourth witness..." the prince raised his arms. "I, your king, and each of you are ALL the fourth witness! These feathers are proof that they were taken from the dead Helmaroc."

He took a feather in his hand and, clenching it tightly in his fist, leapt into the air. He flipped in mid-air and over the table, causing a cry of surprise to ring out through the chamber. He flipped back over the table and sat the feather down.

"Yubira...Brittany..." the girls turned to Ganondorf. "You may each take your seats as one of us."

The crowd roared with applause and praise as the duo took another bow. Yubira plopped down next to Ganondorf himself, but Brittany sat down between Zelda and Link.

"Now, before we go any further," the prince declared, "Ruella has a special treat in store for us! Send in the tea!"

Several Gerudo got up and left the room. While they waited on their drinks, Brittany let out a sigh and slumped against the table.

"That was _**awesome**_, Brittany!" Link slapped the girl on the back. "You've gotten much better since the Picori Festival."

"Thanks," she pulled the veil from her face, "but it wasn't as good as it could have been."

"Surely you jest!" Zelda joined in.

Brittany shook her head. "I've been practicing since around noon. That, and Yubira and I had a hell of a time trying to get my costume to fit. We had to modify one of Ruella's old cholis and we had to make the skirt from scratch...ugh, I'm so tired..."

"But your performance was wonderful! Wouldn't you agree, Varlan?"

Brittany turned to the silent mage. Vaati had his head was lowered and his arms crossed on the table.

"Vaati...?" Link whispered. "You listening to me? How didja like Brittany's performance?"

"She was wonderful..." he said, his voice flat. He stood up and pushed out his chair. "Excuse me!"

Before anyone could say a word, Vaati had stomped off across the room and left. As the heavy wooden doors slammed behind him, the Hylians and Brittany stared in shock.

"Where d'ya suppose he's going?" Yubira piped up.

Brittany jumped up from her seat. "I'll be right back."

"Wait!" Yubira grabbed hold of her wrist. "You'll miss Carmella's tea leaf reading..."

"Sorry, but Vaat-I mean, Varlan's more important right now," she pulled her hand away and hollered over at the torch-bearers. She ran over, grabbed her cloak, then bolted through the doors after her missing friend.


	43. Betrayal

**CHAPTER FOURTY-THREE**

**"**_Betrayal_**"**

Vaati pounded down the exterior steps of the palace in a rage. He was so torn up inside that he couldn't even think straight.

"Va-a-a-at-ti! Slow d-d-down, boy!" Ezlo bounced around on the mage's shoulder.

"She was supposed to stay with us until we found Farore! She told me she would..." Vaati growled. He marched off across the lot to the royal stables. The moment he got inside, he headed straight down the aisles for the Hylians' one remaining horse. Once he found the animal, he slipped into the stall and started rummaging through its saddlebags.

"What are you going to do?" his teacher asked.

"I'm looking for a jar or something we can use for an entrance," he grunted. "Anything with a hole at the bottom and top will work, right? I'm gonna sneak around the palace, shrink myself down and find those documents."

Ezlo whacked the mage on the side of the head. "Now, Vaati, be reasonable-didn't you say Ganondorf would give them to us after the ceremony?"

"_**Screw**_ Ganondorf and the rest of that Gerudo lot!" he shouted. "I'm gonna find those notes, even if I have to steal them-"

"And leave your friends to take the fall when they come up missing? Vaati, do not be so reckless. Why are you acting this way?"

The mage went crimson.

"She...she said..." his voice began to falter. Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming through the barn.

"Vaati!" Brittany rushed up to him, her cloak pulled tight around her to stave off the night's chill. He turned his head away and refused to look at her. "Vaati, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," hissed the mage through gritted teeth. "Nothing at all..."

Suddenly, Brittany's whole demeanor went from concerned to defeated.

"You...I told you...how ugly I looked," she choked out. "I knew you'd think I was hideous...you probably think I'm a slut for the way I was dressed..."

Vaati whirled around and saw his friend trembling all over. Her face, though pink with sunburn, had drained of much of its color. Her eyes were cast down and her knuckles were white from gripping her cloak so hard. Vaati walked over and tried to put his hand on her shoulder, but she jerked away from him. He began to regret snapping at her.

"Brittany...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you," lamented the mage. "It's just...I was upset..."

The girl sniffed. "Yeah," she shrugged, her voice cracking, "I'd be upset too if I saw some fat, scarred freak dancing half-naked."

Vaati grabbed hold of her shoulders and tried to turn her around. "Hey, now what did I tell you about putting yourself down? You're not fat, and if scars make you a freak," he pointed to his left eye, "then I'm a freak, as well."

"They are when they're stretch marks..."

The mage looked down at the shivering girl and wrapped his arms around her. _If only you could see yourself the way I see you, _Vaati thought. He felt her stiffen in his embrace.

"Brittany, that's not the reason, at all," he said. "I just...I'm going to miss you now that you're a Gerudo."

The Empath sniffed again and pushed him away. "Wait...you thought that just because I went through with the ceremony, I was going to leave you guys?"

"You mean you're _not_ staying?"

Brittany shook her head. "I swore an alliance with the Gerudo because Ganondorf's gonna help us find Farore! This way, we gain allies with the desert people and I can find out information that they otherwise would not be so willing to divulge. Besides," the girl smiled, "as long I help them with trading voyages now and again, I'll still have connections to them without having to give up my freedom."

Vaati heaved a sigh of relief.

"So, if that's why you were angry...then you weren't upset about the dance?"

The mage smirked. "How could I be upset over such a magnificent performance? I never knew that you could dance so beautifully, Brittany."

"Aww," she giggled, "you're gonna make me blush."

"Oh, am I?" Vaati raised an eyebrow. "Then perhaps I should tell you how cute you looked in your Gerudo attire. Didn't I say you would?"

Brittany let out a laugh and leaned against one of the stables. "Oh, you're such a horrible flirt!" she teased.

"Aye, that I am!" Vaati mock-boasted. "After all, did you not say I was a lady-killer, my darling? You had better keep an eagle eye open, lest one of these hooked-noses steal me away for her own like Yubira warned."

"Oh, Heaven forbid!" squealed Brittany in a dramatic tone. "What would I ever do without my widdle biddy Picori-poo?"

The mage snorted. "_'Widdle biddy Picori-poo'_? Have you been hitting the Chateau Romani bottle or something?"

"It was the first thing that popped in my mind," she reached up and patted the warhorse in the stall, "_Varlan._"

Vaati giggled. "Yeah, that was a pretty screwed-up name, huh?"

"Oh...my...God..."

"Hey, it wasn't _THAT_ bad!"

"No, Vaati..." Brittany's voice wavered with fear. "Look..."

The mage narrowed his brow and walked over to the girl's side. On her face was a look of sheer horror. Her hand was suspended, as if she had stopped mid-pat. Vaati looked up at the warhorse and his eyes widened. Halfway down its forehead, just between its eyes, were two tiny white commas.

"Curved tadpoles! _**Curved TADPOLES!**_" Brittany gasped. "Moosh said we couldn't miss them! My Lord, Vaati," the girl backed up, "the _**GERUDO**_ kidnapped Farore!"

"I _knew_ there was something amiss!" Ezlo screeched.

"C'mon," Vaati grabbed hold of Brittany's wrist, "we've gotta warn the others!"

The duo raced down the aisle as fast as their legs could carry them. Unfortunately, Fate had a cruel trick in store for them. Just as they reached the end of the stable, Ruella appeared at the entrance.

"Going somewhere?" asked the portly woman.

"Um..." Brittany stuttered. "J-just back to the ceremony-"

Ruella clasped her hands before her and sighed. "I'm afraid the party is already over," she said, just as four well-armed Gerudo stepped forward. "You see, the excitement was too much for your friends, so we had to send them to their room."

Vaati pushed Brittany behind him and drew his sword. "What did you do to Link and Zelda?" screamed the girl.

Ruella chuckled. "Oh, nothing much...just a little sleeping potion cooked up by yours truly. Too bad you didn't stay a bit longer-we could have done this so much easier if you weren't conscious. Oh, well..."

Brittany and Vaati began to back up.

"_**Sic 'em, ladies!**_"

The four swordswomen lunged forward. Ezlo screamed for Vaati to use his magic. The mage clashed blades with the women for a moment trying to protect his friend.

"BRITTANY! Grab Altair and get outta here!"

"But...what about you?"

"I'll be fine!" he shouted, swinging his blade down just in time to block an attack to his legs. "Just _**GO!**_"

Terrified, Brittany watched as Vaati threw himself into the fray against the offending Gerudo. He muttered a quick spell and a burst of wind flew from his hand, knocking two of his attackers to the ground. The Empath turned and bolted down the aisle to find Altair's stall. The warhorse was already rearing up in attempt to kick the gate down by the time she reached him. Just as she went to undo the latch, Brittany felt a presence sneak up behind her. Before she could react, something had grabbed hold of her hair and nearly yanked her off of her feet. A scimitar pressed up against her neck.

"Put the weapon down, boy, or the girl gets it!"

Vaati whirled around to see Subira holding her blade to Brittany's throat.

"Let her go, Subira!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that," the merchant cried. "She's the only thing that can keep a sorcerer like you in line, _Vaati_."

The mage's eyes widened at the use of his name.

"Surprised?" Subira raised an eyebrow. "You shouldn't be. After all, how many purple-haired albino wizards are there in the world? Not many, I'd wager." Vaati raised his hand to fire another gust of wind, but Subira jerked Brittany's head back and forced the blade close to her jugular vein. "The next move you make will be her last!"

"Don't listen to her, Vaati!" came the Empath's strained plea. "Forget me and go save the others-ach!"

Subira tugged on the girl's hair again. "Well, sorcerer? Save the girl or yourself?"

Vaati narrowed his eyes. Gritting his teeth, he tossed his sword to the side and crossed his arms behind his back. One of the Gerudo brought the hilt of her scimitar down hard on the back of his head and he fell to the ground, unconscious. Two of the Gerudo rushed over to pick him up while Yubira let go of Brittany's hair and twisted her arm back.

"Come along, Little Heroine," Subira hissed. "It's time to go see your friends."

After Vaati was searched and any supplies on him taken away, Brittany and her unconscious friend were hauled down to some remote corner of the palace dungeon. At the end of a long, dreary corridor, one of the women opened a cell door and tossed Vaati's lifeless form inside. The Empath soon joined him.

"I hope you'll be comfortable in there," Ruella cruelly mused. "At least until we decide what to do with you."

She began to walk away. Subira looked inside at the young woman. Brittany's face was full of betrayal.

"You two," she turned to the Gerudo that had carried Vaati, "are to stand guard down here. I will return once the oracle's fate has been decided."

The Grand Vizier joined Ruella and they stalked away. As they walked along in the dim passageway, the portly woman struck up a conversation.

"How quiet you are this evening, Grand Vizier!" Ruella cried. "One would think you actually felt bad for that girl."

Subira remained silent.

"They would have only gotten in the way, Subira-you and I both know that."

"They're just _kids_, Ruella," the woman said. "Not much older than Carmella and Yubira."

Ruella glanced at her comrade out of the corner of her eye. "Think of your own daughter, Subira. For her sake, there must be no witnesses to the rebellion. Once Kiln arrives, we'll drain that little oracle until we have enough power to take over the Northern Kingdom and pay those snobs back for subjecting us to such a lowly existence."

Subira fell silent again.

"Yubira will never forgive me."

"For what? Throwing her little pals in the dungeon?"

"That...and for the rebellion," Subira replied. "You know how close she was to Ganondorf."

Ruella stopped as a rat crept along the floor in from of her. "A man is good for only one thing, and you know that," the portly woman said, lifting her foot as the rat scurried closer. "They use you for a simple night's pleasure then they throw you out like a common whore. If women weren't able to birth children, then they'd simply-"

The merchant stomped her foot down, crunching the skull of the rodent beneath.

"-get rid of us. Would you want to see you own daughter raped by a brute like Ganondorf? To have her energetic innocence untimely ripped away?"

"Not all men are evil, Ruella..."

"Ah, yes...I forget that you still think fondly of your own lover," the merchant mocked Subira. "Where is he now, Subira? Where is the wedding band he placed on your finger? Oh, that's right-he didn't want to marry a 'desert tramp'."

"I chose to return of my own free will-"

"And what has your nobility gained you?" Ruella shouted so loudly that her words echoed. "A bastard daughter, just like the rest of us. Be grateful that we chose to let your brat go free rather than pitch her in the cell with those Hylians."

The rest of the walk was an uneasy silence. Ruella and Subira climbed the stairs out of the dungeon and wove their way through the remaining corridors. They stopped at the armory, where several Gerudo were currently picking through the rescue party's belongings.

"Anything good?" Ruella hollered.

"That blonde chick's the princess of Hyrule, Ruella," answered one woman. "and the boy's Link, their national hero. We've captured the sorcerer Vaati, too. I bet the Hylian government will pay a pretty penny for those three."

"The princess and the knight, yes," the obese merchant replied, "but Vaati is too valuable. Kiln may want to use him for his magic."

"What about the girl?"

"We don't know anything about her, Subira. My guess is she'd make good cannon fodder."

Ruella scowled. "Well, don't go making mincemeat of the prisoners before Kiln shows up," she said. "We can use her and Ganondorf as offerings to him. What else did they have on 'em?"

"Nothing much...just a few rupees, some weapons, and this."

One of the Gerudo sitting at the table tossed a small medallion to Subira. It was a fanged turtle, polished until the metal shown.

"It's gold. Might bring a rupee or two," the merchant said as Subira ran her thumb across the pendant. "The real catch was that stallion they brought with them. I don't know how they managed to get an uncastrated male away from our herds, but he's young and strong-willed. He's better than the stock we have here. My guess is we tie a nice bow on him and give him to Kiln to break, too."

Subira stared down at the medallion for a moment. "Sounds like a good idea...say, where did they haul that oracle off to?"

Ruella smirked. "They put her in the eastern tower, at the top."

"Anyone post a guard there yet?"

"Pffft!" Ruella scoffed. "Not like she needs one. Kid's under a sleeping spell. She isn't liable to wake up anytime soon. And the bars to her cell are imbued with magic. Unless someone can channel it, that kid's not coming out until Kiln arrives."

"I see..." Subira said, slipping the medallion into her vest pocket. "Well, then...I think I shall go check on this strange horse of yours. Gotta make sure he's ready for Kiln."

As the Grand Vizier turned to leave, Ruella called to her.

"Subira."

"Yes?" she looked over her shoulder.

"Be careful," the woman grinned wickedly. "He's a feisty one."

Subira nodded and walked out into the hall. The moment she turned the corner of the empty corridor, she hastily pulled the medallion out of her pocket and cupped in in both hands. She gingerly ran her thumb across the turtle's growling mouth before hugging the charm to her chest. A solitary tear slipped down her cheek as she stuffed the medallion back into her pocket.

_Yubira..._she mentally swore_, I won't have the one you love ripped away like I was from your father._

The Grand Vizier stomped off down the labyrinth of halls, a fiery determination etching into her face.


	44. Rescuing Farore

**CHAPTER FOURTY-FOUR**

**"**_Rescuing Farore_**"**

Brittany couldn't believe it. _Betrayed! How could Subira do this? _She had glared at the Grand Vizier with malice in her eyes after she had chucked the girl into the cell. Brittany turned back to Vaati and shook him.

"Vaati-_Vaati!_ Oh, please, wake up...!"

She heard the mage let out a groan. Quickly, she scooted back to give him room to sit up. Moaning in pain, he rose to his knees and rubbed his head.

"Ow, what hit me?" he grunted. "And where did these weird cuffs come from?

"Hey, you're alright!" Brittany would have hugged the mage, but her wrists were tied.

"Brittany," Vaati sputtered out, "where are we? What happened?"

"One of those Gerudo knocked you out," the Empath frowned. "They took everything of value that you had and tossed us in this cell."

Vaati's face turned grim as he realized that his master had disappeared. "Oh, Goddesses-Ezlo!"

"Shh!" Brittany put a finger to his lips. "Look."

Making sure the guards did not see, she pointed to a pile of straw nearby. Sitting in the center of the mess was the imp.

"He ran under my skirt when you fell," Brittany whispered. "They never once noticed him clinging to my leg."

Vaati sighed in relief. As long as Brittany and his teacher were safe, that was all that mattered. He sat up and tried to ignore the throbbing in the back of his head.

"Where are the others?"

Brittany hung her head. "I...I don't know, but they're bound to be around here somewhere. At least," she sighed, "I sure hope they are."

Vaati pushed himself to his feet and headed over to the edge of the cell.

"Hey, Link! Zelda!" he shouted. "Guys, someone-please answer me!"

Suddenly, there was a rustle coming from the cell across the room. A figure stirred inside, then slowly crawled over to the bars.

"Vaati...? Is that you?"

"Link!" the mage shouted. "You're alive! Where's Zelda?"

"In here...she's still asleep, though," the knight replied. "Dammit all! I can't believe we were tricked like that."

"Link!" Brittany scrambled over to the cell bars. "What happened? How did you guys get down here?"

The hero shook his head. "That girl, Carmella-she was supposed to do a tea-leaf reading, right? Well, I didn't realize it then, but the tea her mother had brought in was drugged."

"Link, Farore was kidnapped by the Gerudo!" Brittany shouted.

"I know. When Carmella went to present her gift, they had a huge covered cage wheeled into the room. She ripped the cloth off and inside was Farore, curled up on the bottom. Ganondorf slammed his fists on the table and asked what why on earth she had caged a little girl, Ruella stood said it was part of the gift-her gift of rebellion. About that time, the drugs started to kick in and I saw Zelda pass out. Ruella kept talking about how she was the key to helping them reclaim the kingdom, or something like that..."

"Wait a minute!" the Empath shouted. "You mean Ganondorf was captured? He's not the bad guy?"

"What? No! I mean," Link sputtered, "I saw him nearly go down when I collapsed. He went down fighting, though, 'cause about twenty armed converged on him at once. The last thing I saw was him batting their weapons aside in attempt to stop them."

"If he's not the kidnapper, then who was?"

"I think it was Ruella...ugh, my head hurts," Link rested his head against the bars.

"We've gotta find a way out of here, and soon," Vaati said. "Link could be having an allergic reaction to that drug."

"But how-"

"Shhh!" Vaati hushed the girl. She could hear footsteps coming down the hall. Finally, out of the shadows stepped Subira.

"You..." Brittany growled.

Subira shot the girl a strange glance then turned to the two guards. "Our leader wants to have a word with these two," she pointed to the cage. As one woman ran to unlock it, Subira drew her scimitar. "There's no use in trying to use magic, boy. Those cuffs were specially made by our leader to bind magical power."

Vaati glared at the merchant as the two guards jerked him and Brittany out of the cell. They were tied together with a rope and given to Subira.

"Try running and I'll ram this scimitar through your gullet," Subira warned. She jerked hard on the rope, nearly knocking the pair off balance, then turned and marched off with the duo in tow. They walked back through dungeon and up the flight of stairs. The entire time, every possible escape scenario ran through the Empath's mind-but none were good enough to keep both Vaati and herself uninjured.

As Subira shut the door to the dungeon, she sheathed her scimitar and looked around. Suddenly, she drew a dagger from her hip and cut the bonds on Brittany's wrists. The Empath stared in surprise.

"What...?"

"Quickly, we do not have much time!" Subira drew a key from her pocket and unlocked Vaati's cuffs. "We only have a short amount of time before Ruella figures out what we're doing." The merchant grabbed the discarded bonds, edged toward the end of the hall and scanned the area.

"Why are you helping us?" Vaati glowered.

"Though we are few, there are still those of the Southern Kingdom loyal to Ganondorf," Subira replied. "I apologize for tricking you earlier, but it was the only way I could secure a chance for your escape. Now, come along-you must save the oracle before _HE _arrives."

The Gerudo ran down the hallway with the duo following close behind. After weaving through a series of half-lit corridors and bounding up several flights of stairs, they came to a door leading to the exterior walls. Subira glanced around for any guards, then raced across the top of the exterior wall to one of the minaret towers. Grabbing the brazier by the door, she flung it open and they bolted inside.

Brittany felt her legs screaming as they raced up the countless number of steps, but she refused to stop. Within moments, another door came into view and Subira forced it open. The room inside was tiny and had been divided into halves by a row of glowing bars. The prison cell half contained nothing but a tiny window and a small mound of straw. Brittany walked over to the bars and saw, to her surprise, a young woman sleeping on the makeshift bed. Her green hair stuck out from the two huge buns on each side of her head. She wore a poofy green skirt with an apron sown onto the front, and the big yellow sash that bound her waist was fashioned into an enormous bow in the back.

"Farore..."

"Those bars are imbued with magic," Subira said. "And she's got a sleeping charm on her, too."

Vaati stepped up and put his hands on the box where the lock should have been. "There's no use...this magic is too strong for me. If we had Ezlo..."

"Hey, Vaati?"

"Yes, Brittany?"

"Can you shrink Farore?" she turned to the mage. "I mean, Picori-sized?"

"Of course, but I'd need an entrance..."

"What does an entrance need to be?"

"Some sort of container with holes at the bottom and top...why?"

Suddenly, the Empath grinned. Vaati followed her line of sight until he saw a small tin cup in the corner (probably leftover from some previous prisoner). Brittany borrowed Subira's dagger and pounded a hole in the top and dinted part of the rim, then sat it down on the ground.

"Is there any way you can stand on this thing?" she asked.

"I can stand over it," Vaati smirked. Brittany waved for the Gerudo to step back as Vaati prepared to transform. He quickly sang the chant of shrinking, began to glow, then decreased in size until he slipped through the crack. Brittany then picked up both cup and Minish and squeezed them through the cracks. The mage returned to Hylian form and rushed over to Farore's side.

"What sorcery this is!" Subira exclaimed as Vaati picked up the sleeping maiden. The shrinking and unshrinking process repeated itself until both Hylian Vaati and Farore were on the outside of the cell. The mage laid the girl down on the floor and put his hands on her forehead.

"Can you wake her?" asked the worried Empath.

"Just a moment..." Vaati closed his eyes and concentrated. Ushering a quick spell, his palms began to glow. He kept his hands on the oracle's head until the young woman began to stir. The green-haired maiden strained to open her eyes, but once she did, Brittany saw two confused viridian orbs staring up at her.

"Where...where am I?" the frightened oracle said.

"Farore," Brittany dropped to one knee, "my name is Brittany. Your sisters sent my friends and I after you."

The girl looked stunned. "My...sisters? How can I be sure you're being honest?"

"Din will fight someone to the death over Impa's cooking and Nayru scolds her for not being more ladylike."

Farore's eyes welled up with tears. She threw her arms around Brittany and started bawling. The Empath patted the girl on the head and smiled up at Vaati.

"Sorry to break up this tender moment," Subira piped up, "but we need to hurry if we're gonna spring the others from the dungeon."

"Right!"

Link was getting pissed. His head hurt like hell, and two of his friends had been taken away. Zelda had awakened not long after the others were hauled away, and Ezlo had snuck into their cell-but that was the only good news. Right now, his head throbbed with each passing second and Vaati and Brittany had been gone for too long.

Finally, he heard someone coming down the corridor.

"Halt!" shouted a guard. "Who goes there?"

"Grand Vizier Subira." The Gerudo lowered their weapons as the woman stepped forward.

"Where are the prisoners?"

"Madam Leader found a way to keep herself amused," Subira smirked. "She certainly does enjoy her whips."

Link cringed as the two guards grinned wildly.

"She sent us down here to change the guard," Subira motioned to the young woman behind her. Link looked up at the girl. She wore a long, white, poofy jumpsuit that ended just above her breasts and a vest like Subira's. A veil masked her face.

The guards exchanged glances and shrugged. They nodded to Subira and headed off down the hall. When the door at the far end finally slammed shut, Subira bolted for the keys and the other girl pressed up against the bars.

"Link, is everyone alright?"

"That voice..._Brittany?_"

The girl ripped off the veil and dug her glasses out of her vest pocket. She smiled and held up a 'V' sign with her fingers. Subira unlocked the cells and everyone rushed out.

"Where is Vaati?" Zelda asked. Brittany smiled and reached into her other pocket. Carefully, she pulled out the tiny imp and a Picori-sized Farore. The Hylians gasped as the little oracle waved.

"Farore!" cried and astonished Link. "You're safe!"

"Link, I wanna go home!" Farore sobbed.

Subira flew to a nearby cell and frantically wrenched open the door. The others turned to the cell that she ran into and found the warrior tugging at the shackles of a familiar prisoner. Ganondorf had been bound, hand and ankle, to the wall with some of the same glowing cuffs that had been attached to Vaati...

...with the exception of one thing.

"No!" Subira rasped, turning a cuff over in her hand. "There's no keyhole!" She quickly scanned the other three shackles, but to no avail. She slunk back and hung her head. "Without a magic user, he's done for..."

Brittany watched as Vaati walked into the cell. He dropped down at Subira's side and put his hands on one of the desert prince's shackles.

"Here, let me," he said. Subira nodded and left the cell. Vaati closed his eyes and concentrated. The strange energy that formed in his hands pushed back the glow on the band until the offending magic disappeared-leaving the cuff crumbling into dust. The wizard repeated the same tactic with the other clasps until the man was freed.

Finally, Ganondorf awakened. He groaned then, standing, looked up at Vaati.

"What on earth happened?" growled the warrior. "How did I wind up down here...?"

"Looks like that drug got to him worse than I thought," Link said. Suddenly, the Gerudo prince seemed to have his memories come back. He stood up and stomped out of the cell. Subira bowed low once his eyes fell upon her.

"My master, please forgive my daughter. She had no part in this matter."

Everyone turned to the tall brute. His eyes narrowed to a glower upon the woman at his feet. Brittany sensed his anger and quickly stepped in between the two.

"Don't you touch her!" she barked, throwing her arms out in a protective barrier for Subira (by now, the tiny duo had made their way back into her pocket). "Subira helped Vaati and me rescue Farore, then stuck me in a disguise so we could free you and the others. Without her help, we'd all still be stuck in our cells."

Ganondorf glared daggers at the young woman's boldness, but that only made Brittany jeer back. She brought her fists in front of her and shifted her feet into position without breaking eye contact. The prince just chortled in his throat and looked to the Gerudo behind her.

"Stand, Subira-you have proven your loyalty by helping us escape," he slipped around the wary Empath and put his hand on Subira's shoulder. "Only a true Gerudo could outfox her sisters the way you have."

"Sire...thank you," tears rolled down Subira's face. She quickly wiped her eyes and headed down the hall. After Link had placed Ezlo on his shoulder, the group sprinted down through the dungeon, up the flight of stairs, and through the palace.

Once they reached the armory, they found their weapons and everything else the Gerudo had taken. Zelda grabbed an extra quiver of arrows and flung it over her shoulder, and Brittany tied on her coat and pulled on her sneakers. She picked up Vaati's sword and one for herself before they raced back into the hall.

"Make haste," Subira said to them as they rushed across the courtyard. "Ruella has probably already roused the guard. Yubira has your horses ready so you can escape."

They ran up to the stables just as Yubira was leading three beasts out. Altair spotted Brittany and galloped over to her. She pulled herself onto the horse's back as Link climbed on behind Zelda. She looked down at Subira.

"Aren't you coming?"

The woman shook her head. "We will stay and distract them. It is imperative that you get the oracle as far away from here as possible."

"But what about you and Yubira?" Brittany looked over at the girl, who was currently trying her best to hug the life out of the dark prince.

"We shall follow you once we and the others loyal to Ganondorf have caused enough chaos."

"Subira..." Brittany's visage softened. "Thank you. I regret thinking you would betray us."

The woman smiled. "Could you do me a favor?" Subira unbound her hair and slipped the charm of the band, then pulled the turtle medallion from her pocket. "Take this to a man named Talon. I don't know what he is now, but I suspect he still lives on his family's ranch. And tell him..." she looked over at Yubira. "...Tell him that his daughter grew up to be a fine young woman...and that I still love him. Will you do this for me?"

Brittany looked down at the platinum and gold pendants. She stuffed them in her unoccupied vest pocket and nodded. Subira smiled one last time before the Empath kicked her heels into the horse's flank and rode away. Ganondorf and the two Hylians soon followed. Mother and daughter exchanged a glance and then drew their weapons.

"Why didn't you tell them that we're the only ones not rebelling?" Yubira asked.

"Because," the merchant replied, "those people are very noble. They would have stayed to protect us and just endanger themselves."

Yubira gave a mournful glance toward the city. "Do you suppose this is it, Mother?"

Subira smirked. "Perhaps, my child..." she watched as a mob began to form on top of the palace stairs. "But I cannot think of a better way to go out of this world, can you?"

Yubira readied her scimitar and grinned. "Not at all."

With a final wink to one another, mother and daughter let out a battle cry and charged head-long into the crowd of pursuers.


	45. Rumble in the Jungle

**CHAPTER FOURTY-FIVE**

**"**_Rumble in the Jungle_**"**

Ganondorf hadn't been kidding around when he said 'nonstop riding'. From the moment he climbed back onto his horse, the Gerudo prince had sped off at a full gallop. The return trip had been one of the longest Brittany had ever remembered. Nothing but endless sand and the sapphire sky above could be seen for miles on end. Every bump and turn of the dunes jarred her body-which, considering the fact that Altair refused to let Yubira saddle him-made for a very rough ride (luckily, she did manage to get him on a bit and toss a blanket over his back, but that was ALL).

Her 'highway hypnosis' claimed most of the trip, but when she wasn't thinking about Subira and Yubira's fate, she had a nice conversation with Farore. The oracle, as it turned out, was no amateur to the gift of speech. For someone so childlike, the young woman possessed an enormous knowledge of her world. She kept pelting the Empath with random trivia about Hyrule and its neighbors for much of the ride (Brittany remembered being very much the same way around her friends back on Earth-a fact that she could not believe she had almost forgotten). She listened intently and plied the oracle with questions, to which Farore eagerly offered answers. They were so engrossed with one another's company that, by nightfall, Brittany felt as though she had found the little sister she never had.

Of course, even oracles must sleep, so Brittany was a little disappointed when Farore nodded off. Still, she held tight to the reins so that the girl in front of her would not bounce off Altair during her slumber. As the trail dragged on, Brittany had to fight to keep herself awake. Eventually, the drone of the ride exhausted her to the point that she could no longer keep her eyes open. Wrapping her hands tightly in the reins, she leaned her head against the oracle's shoulder and slowly succumbed to sleep.

Early the next morning, the Empath was startled awake as her horse heading up a particularly steep dune. Instinctively, she pulled her hands back, but when she felt the strap around them, she realized that she was still riding Altair. She dug her heels into the animal's flank and held on tightly as he trudged up the dune. As they neared the top, Brittany could see Ganondorf had stopped and was staring off into the distance.

"What is it, Ganondorf?" Brittany whispered loudly once she reached the top. The prince pointed out over the desert. The girl followed the length of his arm until she saw what the man was staring at. Just as the sun had started to come up behind them, it had barely began to illuminate a small bumpy line stretching across the desert in the far distance.

"We've nearly reached the border of Holodrum," answered the Gerudo as the Hylians' horse joined them. "We've got some more hard riding ahead of us. Once we cross the border, it's best we not stop until we're about an hour inland-just in case."

Brittany and the others nodded and they headed down over the remaining stretch of desert. With their goal in site, the trip seemed to go much faster. For the remainder of the voyage, they switched between riding and leading the horses (they had to-that poor little Hylian steed Zelda had borrowed from Impa was not built for harsh conditions the way the Gerudo warhorses were).

Using the forest as cover, Ganondorf led the small party across the plateau. Eventually, when they could stand it no longer, the group stopped at the closest thing to a clearing they could find in the dark woodland to make camp. While the two men walked off to find some firewood, the girls started unloading the horses.

"Hey, Farore..." Brittany breathed, her voice a bit faint.

"Yes?" grinned the oracle.

"Can you hold Vaati for a minute?"

"Oh, sure! Do you need to use the bushes or someth-" Brittany barely managed to pull Vaati from her pocket and hand him to Farore before she collapsed onto the leafy ground. The oracle let out a muffled squeak.

"What's wrong with her?" Zelda asked.

"I don't know," Farore answered fearfully, "she just handed Vaati to me and passed out!"

Vaati looked up at the girl. "Farore, what's that wrapped around you?"

"What, this?" the oracle replied. "She stuck her coat over me when we left the oasis and refused to let me take it off of my head. I don't know why..."

"WHAT?" the Minish started jumping up and down. "Lower me down! Now!"

"Why?"

"Can't you see? Brittany made you wear that to protect you from the sun! Oh, Goddesses...put me down-put me _DOWN!_"

Farore knelt beside of Brittany as the imp fired up a ball of light in his hand. The moment he held it up, the light fell upon the groggy girl and he started screaming incoherently. Zelda came running over and dropped down next to the young woman.

"Vaati, what's going on-"

"Brittany's burnt to a crisp!" he shouted. "Look at her! Her face, her chest, her arms-dammit, she's redder than blood!"

Zelda held the torch she had been using over the maiden, then brought her hand to her mouth as she let out a scream. Within moments, the remaining members of their party came running over to the princess.

"Link-look!" cried the worried princess.

"Damn," Ganondorf swore as he placed his hand on the girl's head, "I was afraid something like this would happen."

"Why, what is it?"

"Desert fever," the prince replied as he tried to raise the young woman. "It happens to young Gerudo girls who show more of their Hylian ancestry. They have to get used to the sun _slowly_ or this will happen."

"It can't be..." Vaati gasped.

Link noticed the looks on their faces and frowned. "What's 'desert fever'? Is it bad?"

"Desert fever happens when a really pale person goes into the Desert Wastes with insufficient cover," Ganondorf said. "People with prolonged exposure to the sun when they've already been burnt develop severe fevers. This causes their bodies to go into shock and their internal organs to shut down."

"_**FIND ME AN ENTRANCE, RIGHT THIS MINUTE!**_"

Everyone turned to look at Vaati. Farore immediately stood and ran over to a stump. A bright flash of light later and Vaati had practically thrown himself next to the prostrate girl. He took a small vial from the pack on his side, uncorked it, and brought it to the girl's lips.

"Please drink this, Brittany," said the worried Minish. The girl tried to raise her head so he could pour the liquid into her mouth, but it took some effort to get the vial down her throat. Within moments after swallowing it, however, her scarlet flesh faded and returned to its normally rosy hue and her fever died away. Vaati sighed in relief.

"What was in that bottle?" Ganondorf puzzled.

"Picolyte," Vaati replied. "A magical concoction made by the Picori. It's a popular potion in Hyrule because it works so well on wounds. I'm glad I had a vial leftover from Impa's injuries."

The prince smirked. "I guess they weren't kidding when they said you were a sorcerer," he said. "But I heard that the Vaati who attacked Hyrule was killed."

"Defeated-yes," Zelda mentioned. "Killed-no. He wasn't really evil. A cap did that to him."

Ganondorf raised an eyebrow. "A...cap?"

"A magic cap," Link added. The prince scoffed.

"And I take it the rest of Hyrule granted him clemency because he was under the influence of," he snickered, "a cap. Or do they not know he is still alive?"

Everyone grew very silent.

"Well, then, you are still a criminal," the Gerudo lowered the girl he was holding back to the ground and stood. "I suppose there would be a large bounty waiting for the person that turns you in."

Link and Vaati's hands went to their swords and Zelda reached for her bow. Not a second later, Brittany rolled over and, struggling, climbed to her feet.

"If you dare," she panted, glaring up at the man, "do anything that either directly or indirectly harms my friend," she staggered for a moment, "I'll _**kill**_ you."

Ganondorf crossed his arms and looked down at the girl. "You? Really? You can barely stand, let alone hold a sword."

"You bastard...I don't _**NEED**_ a sword to fight you," she stomped over to Ganondorf until was only an inch of space between her and the prince, "you pompous, arrogant, wicked, egotistical swine!"

"And how do you intend to-"

Without warning, Brittany fell backwards onto the ground. Vaati rushed forward to catch her but was surprised when the girl threw her arms behind her and caught herself. As she fell back, her foot came up and slammed straight into the fork between Ganondorf's legs. The dark prince let out a pained whimper as he fell to his knees. Brittany hopped to her feet and brought her foot around in a roundhouse kick, but Ganondorf blocked by grabbing her ankle mid-kick. Immediately, the girl leapt up and swung her other leg around-slamming her heel into the man's jaw. Ganondorf let go of her leg and brought his hand up to his face. The Empath crashed into the ground but swept her legs around into a sprinter's position. She lunged, her knee aimed straight at the prince's face.

Suddenly, Ganondorf pulled his arm back and sliced it through the air, hitting Brittany and sending her spinning into a small tree. The blow nearly knocked the air out of the girl but it didn't stop her. She darted at the Gerudo again, this time jumping behind him as he brought his arm around. The Empath leapt onto his back, wrapped her arms around his neck in a headlock and-planting her feet firmly against his back-pulled back as hard as she could.

"Okay-okay! I was just JOKING!" Ganondorf choked as he tried to pry the girl off. "Let go!"

The Gerudo prince flung himself forward, throwing Brittany over his head and sending her slamming back-first into the ground. Groaning from the blow, she flipped over and forced herself into a half-crouched, half-standing position. The Hylians, with wide eyes and mouths agape, just stared at the panting Empath.

"Holy crap, Brittany!" Link sputtered. "Where didja learn to do that?"

The Empath smacked her hands together to dust them off. "You had to pick up a thing or two about fighting back where I came from. It was the only way a girl could stay safe."

The Gerudo pulled himself to one knee, one had over his injured privates and the other rubbing his neck. "Damn...you aren't one to bluff, are you?" he hacked. "Don't worry-I'm not going to turn your little friend there into the Hylian guards. You rescued Yubira, so that makes you my ally."

"Her blood dept is repaid," Brittany growled, "'cause she and Subira helped us escape."

Ganondorf smirked. "Yes, but mine is not," he said, climbing to his feet. He winced as he staggered into a less painful stance, then looked over at Brittany. "You could have rescued your friends and left me to rot in that cell, but your wizard pal chose to save me."

"Heh," the girl grinned, "who says we weren't just planning to dump you once got us through the desert?"

"We were?" Link asked. Brittany's head fell forward in shock and the Gerudo chortled.

"Thanks for killing my credibility, Link..." she glared at the boy.

"Oops..." he laughed nervously. "Sorry!"

"Anyway, I wouldn't turn your friend in because I was hoping that you all would come back with me after you return the girl," Brittany looked at the man in surprise. He stood proud with his face stoic. "I suppose you know that Gerudo rarely ask favors, but," there was a flash of pain in his eyes, "Yubira is not just one of my subjects-she has been my best friend since childhood. With she and her mother captured and me exiled, the whole Southern Fortress will fall to Ruella."

Brittany's face softened from angry scowl to somber grimace. She put one hand on her hip and turned around to face Farore. "Kiddo, I think it's high time you told everyone what you told me on the trail."

The viridiette gave an anxious nod. "When I was a prisoner," Farore stepped forward, "I had a nightmare. It...scared me."

The Hylians whirled around in shock. "Nightmare?"

"Bah," Ganondorf waved her off, "it was probably just stress."

"Wrong, Ganondorf," Brittany replied. "Farore is an _oracle_. In other words, a sort of great natural mage. Her nightmares are prophetic," the brunette announced. "Why do you think Ruella had her captured?"

The dark prince nodded. "Very well...let us make camp first, before it gets too dark to see-then the kid can tell us her dream."


	46. Prophecy Foretold

**CHAPTER FOURTY-SIX**

**"**_Prophecy Foretold_**"**

"Well, it all started after that Gerudo woman put that spell on me," Farore began. "I was looking at a map of the world-or maybe hovering above it, I can't remember."

Ganondorf crossed his arms over his chest. "Does it really matter?"

"Hush!" Brittany hissed at him. "Go on, Farore."

The oracle nodded. "Anyway, I remember staring down at the land of Hyrule when all of a sudden this swarm of monsters came flying right at me. I screamed and shielded my eyes as I braced for impact, but nothing ever came. When I looked up, all of the monsters were floating around a man in a black cloak."

Farore stared down into the campfire's flames. She shivered.

"It's alright, Farore," Link put his hand on the young woman's shoulder, "you can tell us."

The maiden gulped and nodded. "That man...he stretched his hand out over the world. When he did, darkness began to spread across various parts of the realm until everything was covered by it. I could hear the cries of people all across the land. The moment I looked up, the man was standing right in front of me. He reached towards me..." Farore reached out into the air with her hand in a menacing clawlike fashion. "...Like this."

Zelda gasped and put her hand to her lips. "My, that must have been terrifying!"

"It _WAS_," the viridiette eagerly bobbed her head. "I was so frightened that I feared I might faint! Suddenly, I saw a blinding light flash between us, and the cloaked man shrunk back."

"Then what happened?" Link chimed in.

"Three brilliant figures-each one bathed in a light of red, blue or green-appeared around the Dark One. As they closed in, he turned this way and that to escape them until he found a space that had not been claimed by the light. However, as he raced to flee through it, a fourth light appeared. This time, it was a violet one. I watched as the Dark One cowered back from the fourth light, almost as though he feared it more than the others. Suddenly, each being in the light held up a hand. Upon each of their hands was a single, golden triangle."

_The Triforce..._Brittany thought. _But wait, did she say there were FOUR pieces? How can that be? There are only three...there's never been more than that!_

Farore continued. "The four lights seemed to grow with power. As they did, eight glowing crystals appeared between them. A beam shot out from each one, hitting the man, until all eight had encased him in a strange white crystal. He lifted into the air and the crystal burst into sparkles that rained down upon me. I looked up for a brief second to watch, but when I looked back all was gone...save for the strange figure in purple. A blinding white radiance poured down from the heavens upon it. A Strange Voice spoke to me as the darkness dissipated, then I was presented with a huge book," she looked up at the others. "The next thing I know, I'm in that dark prison tower with Brittany and Vaati standing over me."

Ganondorf cleared his throat. "That's a nice story, kid," he jeered, "but what does it mean?"

The oracle clasped her hands together. "I believe the world is in grave danger, and that my kidnapping was only the beginning," she proclaimed. "I believe that cloaked man took control of the remaining monsters Vaati released from the chest and is trying to take over the world. I have a feeling that it was he-not the pig-demon that Link destroyed in Labrynna-that was responsible for the kidnapping of my sisters. He wants our power to help him fuel his evil, but it seems like each time he got close to one of them, it wasn't what he was looking for. That's why I think he came after me."

"Makes sense..." the Gerudo said. "After all, Ruella was once our best and wittiest mercenaries-she would not tempt a rebellion unless she knew she had the power to win."

"Farore," Zelda asked, "did you happen to get a good look at the man or any of the other figures in the dream?"

The oracle shook her head. "I'm sorry...it seems the harder I try to remember more specific details, the more they escape me," she sighed. "I cannot even remember if they were men or women. All I remember is that Strange Voice telling me each one of the crystallized beings was allied with the light was in control of a particular element."

"Perhaps we are not meant to know whom they are just yet," Brittany suggested. "Maybe if we look for these elements, we can find the people that control them."

Link held up a hand. "Wait a minute!...Are you telling me there are more than four elements?"

Farore nodded.

"But," the hero protested, "I only found Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire," he drew his sword from the scabbard. "That's all it took to reforge the Picori Blade..."

Vaati shook his head. "Those four are the _primary_ elements, Link," he stated. "There are four secondary elements, as well. They are not often thought of as elements because they can be closely aligned with two or more of the primary ones."

"He's right!" Farore chimed. She held up her fingers and began to count. "There's Spirit, Shadow, Light, and Nature, too."

"So what about these Golden Triangles of yours?" Vaati pointed out. "They sound a lot like Zelda's _'light force', _if you ask me."

Farore turned towards the princess. "Princess Zelda," she asked, "didn't you say you had a strange birthmark that resembled the light force?"

The princess nodded and proceed to take off one of her gloves. On the back of her right hand was the symbol of three tiny triangles formed together in the shape of one big triangle.

_So, this Zelda has a piece of the Triforce, too..._thought Brittany. She saw a strange look cross Link's face.

"Hey...Zelda..." he pulled off one of the gloves he had been wearing and held up his left hand. A second Triforce symbol had marked the hero's flesh. "Remember this? It appeared not long after the battle with Vaati...right after the Picori Gate was resealed."

That's when Brittany noticed that Ganondorf was staring at the duo. "Ganondorf, is there something you wish to share with the class?" she asked.

"Link...did that mark appear around five years ago?"

"Yeah, why?"

The Gerudo tugged on the end of his gauntlet. "About five years ago," he began, "my mother, the Queen Mother of the Gerudo, decided that it would be best that I accompany her to meet a particularly wealthy patron from Labrynna. She sent the Grand Vizier as my reagent, but Yubira was supposed to stay behind. Instead, she stowed away until we were reached the village on the outskirts of the Desert Wastes. She was discovered hiding in one of the wagons and her mother gave her a sound lecture. She ran away and was found by a bunch of drunken soldiers. Their leader tried to drag her into an alley, but I found her before they could do anything. They were a lot taller and stronger than myself, so I nigh on got the hell beat out of me for my effort. That's when I got this..."

He pulled off the gauntlet and held up his right hand-it bore a mark similar to the Hylians'.

"I felt myself grow immensely stronger," he recalled, "and I had soundly thrashed each of the four soldiers within mere moments. Over the course of the next year, I grew far taller and more powerful than any man I had ever encountered-even more than my own father, whom my mother swore was barely taller than herself."

Brittany crossed her arms and smirked. "Doesn't surprise me...," she whispered to herself. "Farore," she called out, "I believe three of our friends here are your triangles. But that doesn't explain the fourth piece."

The oracle nodded. "Right," she said. "I remember hearing a legend a long time ago about Three Golden Goddesses who created the land. They were supposed to have left behind three sacred triangles that contained their power and controlled the balance in the world. But this fourth one...it makes no sense..."

Farore jumped up and skipped over to Brittany. "At the end of the dream, right before the map was expunged of darkness, that Strange Voice spoke to me. It told me about the beings of the eight elements and said we would need help. A large book formed in the hands of the purple figure, who walked over and placed the book in my hands," the oracle added.

"I heard the Strange Voice say that '_You cannot destroy the Dark One until the Empath comes, for only she can speak the language of the Heart required to lead you to fourth Triforce piece. Find this book. Within its pages is the language of the ancients. You will not be able to understand it entirely at first, but the text contains a very powerful magic. Two Sacred Sages have already been awakened. When the time comes, you must use the incantations to free each of the remaining six Sacred Sages so they may unite and stop the Dark One's curse upon the world once and for all_.' Then everything disappeared."

Everyone turned to Brittany with their faces in awe (or, in Ganondorf and Ezlo's cases, confusion). The brunette herself stared, mouth agape and eyes wide, at the beaming oracle's revelation. Silence fell across the camp.

"A...are you suggesting that," Brittany pointed to herself, "_**I**_ am supposed to help save the world? Farore, are you NUTS?"

The girl tilted her head to the side and giggled.

"While the kid's story _does_ seem preposterous," Ganondorf joined in, "she makes a valid point. You've already defeated the Helmaroc, rescued three people and escaped from the Southern Gerudo Fortress. Quite a feat for someone to achieve in a little over a week. I know of few others that could pull off such deeds."

In protest, Brittany pointed a shaky finger at Link. "What about HIM? He's been on adventures before!" she babbled. "He's saved three countries, two out of three oracles and countless other people! Why can't he be the hero-I couldn't even defend myself against Subira!"

"Brittany," Vaati spoke up, "you had no way of protecting yourself in the Gerudo stables. You were attacked from behind by a skilled warrior _and_ you were unarmed."

"But...I'm no heroine!" shouted the girl. She pushed herself to her feet. "I can't do this on my own..."

Vaati walked over to the anxious maiden. "Brittany," he put his hand on her shoulder, "you are _**NOT**_ alone. Just look around you."

The brunette glanced about the camp. One by one, each of her remaining companions stood.

"As Prince of the Gerudo, I cannot refuse to aid one of my own. And if it means stopping Ruella and her traitorous lot," Ganondorf crossed his right arm over his chest, "then my strength is yours, Little Heroine."

Link and Zelda hopped up. "You've got my blade at your side, Brit," the knight offered.

"And my bow."

"Of course," Ezlo piped up, "you'll need my incredible knowledge and wisdom if you ever hope to survive this mess."

"And me..." the mage smirked. "You have me."

The Empath gave a wry smile at her friends. All of these people-these powerful, important people-were willing to follow her. _Her!_ Up until a month ago, she was a nobody whose only dream was to escape her mentally-incompetent family. Now, here she was, offered the chance to lead this rag-tag band to save the world.

"Well, I suppose getting myself killed in battle is far better a death than being roadkill like I was supposed to be," she shrugged. The others let out collective urgings of support. "Very well, then. Our first goal is, however, to return to Hyrule and let Din and Nayru know their little sister is alright. We can worry about the rest after we get there."

"_Right!_"

"_**GET IN THERE, YOU BITCH!**_" Ruella screamed as she shoved the bound and bloody Subira into her cell for the umpteenth time. She slammed the cell door in her fury and watched as Yubira wriggled over to the fallen body of her mother.

"Oh, Kiln is gonna be SOOOOO pissed," said Nala. Ruella whipped her head around and leered at the Gerudo archer.

"Don't'cha think I don't already know that?" she screeched in a tone of dire madness. "When he comes and finds out that we let the oracle escape, we're screwed." She turned around and gave the prison bars a kick. "We have to find that little brat before he gets here!"

"Heh...you're _**pathetic**_."

Ruella looked down to see the bruised prisoner struggle to her knees. Panting in agony, she glared up at her captor.

"Really?" Ruella barked in frustration. "I'm not the one who's lying in a cell bleeding half to death."

Yubira sat up and nudged her mother's shoulder with her head. A smile crossed the older Gerudo's swollen face as she glanced at her daughter, then she stiffened her back and glared at Ruella.

"Maybe not, but at least my daughter and I still have our dignity," the woman boldly announced. "Look at you-where's the strong mercenary of my youth? All I see is a coward."

Ruella stared in shock for a moment, then reached through the bars and grabbed a fistful of the vizier's vest. Even when she yanked the woman forward hard enough to slam her head into the bars, the merchant was still smiling.

"Why in the hell are you SMILING?" glowered Ruella. "Stop it! I flogged you...I whipped your daughter within an inch of her life! What in the hell's wrong with you?"

Subira's grin widened. "Heh...at least I'm still a Gerudo."

The mutineer was taken aback. "Oh, and I am not?"

"None of you traitorous lot are," spat the vizier. "You have not only rebelled against your prince and imprisoned your kinswomen, but you have also sunk to the lowest of lows: _fearing a man!_" The two wardens shrunk back. "The Gerudo are a proud, noble race-there's no water in our blood when it comes to courage. You may bear the same flesh and wear the same clothing as us, but you are no more a Gerudo than a pig wearing a choli. You're nothing but a filthy whore who's willing to sell herself to the highest bidder!"

All of a sudden, Ruella flew into a rage and threw open the cell door. She rushed in and, in a rage, began furiously kicking the bloodied merchant. Nala had to pull her off before she killed Subira.

"Leave her be!" shouted the archer. "Let Kiln decide her punishment."

Ruella let out a shaky breath as she stared down at the groaning woman. Suddenly, she heard footsteps running along the dungeon corridor. She looked up to see Ayala come sprinting up to the cell.

"Any news?" Nala asked her daughter.

"Not the kind you're gonna like..."

Ruella growled and whirled around. "Just spit it out already!" Ayala gulped.

"Our warriors had to return because of a sandstorm," the newly-christened Gerudo said. "They were unable to locate the oracle or any of the escaped prisoners."

The mutineer hauled off and kicked Subira again. "Damn it all...that was our last chance. Kiln will be here soon-"

"That's the other bad news," Ayala added. "He's here. And he's brought the moblins with him."

Ruella grabbed the back of Subira's vest and jerked her to her feet. She drew her scimitar and put the point to the woman's back. "C'mon...maybe we can sate some of his anger with these two!"

The mercenary's companions grabbed Yubira and they marched through the dungeons and labyrinth of palace halls until they reached the throneroom. Nervous Gerudo chattered anxiously along the walls as a band of moblins hungrily eyed them. In the center of the room stood Carmella. She was talking to a stranger in a dark cloak. His hood was pulled over him so that you could only see the lower half of his face.

"Mother," the Gerudo let out a haughty giggle, "how nice of you to join us. Oh, and you brought our guests, too."

Ruella and the others shoved the prisoners to the floor. She dropped to one knee and bowed.

"My Master, please forgive me," the woman begged, "but the oracle has escaped. She was taken by Ganondorf and a band of Hylians a few days before you arrived."

The cloaked man let out a groan of disapproval. "I know-Mistress Carmella has already explained the situation to me."

"Lord Kiln," Ruella snapped her head up, "please accept these two prisoners as our apology! The traitorous fools helped the oracle escape. I've already personally flogged them both, but please torture them in any way it appeases Your Majesty."

Kiln strode forth and looked down upon the prisoners. Subira and her daughter struggled to their knees as the stranger lowered himself into a crouch. He reached his hand out and took hold of Yubira's chin, turned her head about for a moment, then smirked.

"Forget torture," said Kiln. "I have a much more useful purpose for them. Carmella-"

"Yes, my Master?" the maiden stepped forth.

"Did you not once tell me about a temple in the Northern Kingdom?"

Carmella nodded. "Yes, that is how those blood-traitors get their water. A river flows from the depths of an underground oasis and delivers the water to them."

Kiln's smirk widened. "Perfect. Krull..." the moblin leader stepped forward upon command. "...We shall be taking these two along with us."

The enormous pig-beast gave a feral grunt and snapped his bulbous fingers. Two more moblins rushed over and scooped up the beaten women. Kiln stood and offered his arm to Carmella.

"Shall we, my dearest?"

The woman nodded and quickly wrapped her hand around her master's. The two of them headed out of the throneroom with the moblin band following them-leaving a bunch of concerned Gerudo babbling about the man's lack of reprisals. As they reached the middle of the town, the lead monster's stomach growled.

"Aww, is poor little Krull hungry?" Carmella cooed.

"Master, we have had nothing but a few cattle in the past few days," groaned the moblin. "Could we not stay for a snack?"

Kiln smirked. "I do not know...you remember how ravenous your appetites can be." Krull gave a weary sigh.

"Oh, but my dearest," Carmella spoke up, "why not let them feast? After all, I'm sure they could sate even the greatest of hungers with the flesh of the desert. Those weaklings are of no use to us anymore..." Kiln's smirk began to spread.

"You are quite right, my love," the cloaked man said. "We may not have the oracle but we have a lovely constellation prize. Krull..."

The pig-beast looked down at his master. "Yes, my liege?" he said, drool forming in the corner of his mouth.

"Why don't you and your band go...grab a bite?" he said, a hint of cruel amusement in his voice. "Just be sure to clean up thoroughly when you are finished."

Carmella began to giggle as the two prisoners began to scream bloody murder. As the couple and the moblins bearing the two women headed through the streets of the small village, the chief moblin raised his spear and roared. Feral bellows of approval rang out from the demonic army and they descended upon the inhabitants of the fortress. Cries of terror rang mingled with blood-curdling screams and the growling of moblins rose up throughout the compound.

The last memory Subira and Yubira remembered of their homeland was the fall of Southern Fortress.


	47. Reunion

**CHAPTER FOURTY-SEVEN**

**"**_Reunion_**"**

The trip seemed to go a great deal quicker on the return to Hyrule than it did leaving it, but to the weary Hylians the sight of home never came soon enough. They practically cheered when the edge of Tribly Highlands came into view. Farore nearly bounced off of the horse in excitement. Brittany decided that the best thing for them to do was head for the castle and announce their return, so they made that their first destination. They took a quick detour through the northern part of the town and through the fields. Brittany was surprised to see the troupe still camped out-but, considering the fact that Nayru and Din were their prized performers, it made sense they wouldn't leave without them.

Eventually, the group stopped at the edge of the camp and hopped down off their horses. Before anyone could do anything, Farore had bounded off into the circle of tents-leaving the others to follow her. They could hear her shouts for her sisters as they bolted through the camp. Just as they entered the clearing, Din and Nayru emerged from one of the tents. The moment the girls spotted Farore they took off running toward her. The little viridiette literally threw herself in a glomp at her family and sent all three crashing to the ground in a pile of laughing maidens.

"Farore! Oh, Farore," Nayru began to cry, "we missed you so much!"

"We were so worried about you!" Din wrapped her arms around the younger girl. Farore started bawling.

"I missed you guys, too!"

"We're so sorry we drugged you and left you behind," the singer sniffed. Farore lifted the hem of her apron and blotted at her sister's eyes.

"That's 'kay...just don't do that again. Promise?"

Nayru gushed tears and even the usually composed Din broke down. All three girls began to cry and laugh, taking turns between wiping each other's eyes and crushing one another in a fearsome grip. Brittany sighed as she felt a nose nudge her in the shoulder. Altair rested his horsy head on her shoulder as the girl watched the scene unfold. Eventually, the rest of the troupe appeared and excitedly crowded around. After another round of hugs and plenty of questions from the performers, the oracles stood and headed over to Brittany's group.

"I don't know how we can ever thank you," Nayru dabbed a handkerchief at her eyes, "for making sure Farore returned safe and sound."

Brittany grinned. "That kid? Sound? Nah-I must've grabbed the wrong person."

Farore lightly punched the Empath's air and giggled. The other two oracles looked up and saw Altair standing behind Brittany.

"Ah, I heard he went with you," Din smiled. "Milo barely managed to catch him going out of sight before he was gone. But...where are Impa and Moosh? And who is this guy?"

Brittany's face fell. "I'll explain later."

"Why don't we head up to the castle for now? I'm sure the King will want to hear how the journey went."

Altair nuzzled Brittany's neck again. "Can he come? He follows me around like a puppy..." Din shook her head.

"I don't think the King will want a horse walking around inside of the Castle, so you can leave him in the courtyard."

The horse gave a disappointed snort. Brittany turned and hugged his muzzle before she and her small party headed off toward the castle. Needless to say, the King was very surprised to find everyone had returned so quickly, but he was more than overjoyed to see the little oracle in one piece. He dismissed his court so they could have a moment to speak. After introducing himself to the Gerudo prince, listening to the harrowing fate of Impa, the great escape from the Southern Fortress and Farore's prophetic nightmare, he was more then quite stunned.

"What a journey you have had!" the King boasted. "And not even a fortnight has gone by since you left! But what are we to do about your nightmare?"

"The book the light presented to me was a thick volume with a brilliant green cover," Farore said. "It had strange runes on the cover that I have never seen before."

Suddenly, Nayru and Din's jaws dropped. They gave each other a surprised look.

"What's wrong, you guys?" Link asked.

"Farore..." Din asked. "Did the book have gold lettering and a heavy clasp on the front?"

The youngest oracle's eyes lit up. "Yeah, it did! But," she halted, "how would you know?"

The duo looked at one another and nodded. "Farore, when we left here, we went to visit the Great Witch Syrup," Nayru said. "She had sent us a message back of this with information about the witches Twinrova, whom Link defeated a few years ago."

"As it turns out, while she and her granddaughter were visiting the ruins of the black tower in Labyrnna back of this, they had stumbled upon a chest containing the witches' old spell books. They were digging through it in search of something useful when they found a strange book like the one you described."

"We didn't think much of it until...well..." the sisters exchanged worried glances. Farore understood.

"You mean that day in town, don't you?"

The oracles stared in awe at their younger sibling.

"H-ho-how did you find out?" Nayru stuttered. Farore smiled.

"I figured out it must've had something to do with that when you two got so upset after I blanked out," she replied. "And with you guys drugging me and running off in the middle of the night...well, I just put two and two together and figured that's why you guys left me behind. It wasn't until after I spoke with Brittany that it all fell into place."

The two oracles shout an accusatory glance at the Empath. "Hey, it was a long trip!" she barked in defense. "Besides...kiddo here deserved to know."

Din and Nayru each heaved a sigh and nodded.

"You're right, Brittany," Din said. "Trying to keep Farore sheltered from the problem only made it ten times worse."

The Empath smiled. "Now that THAT'S settled...where's this book you were talking about?"

"That is where I come in."

Brittany and the others looked up at the Hylian King. The robed man pushed himself up from his throne. "The lady oracles asked me to keep the book safe once they discovered their sister had gone missing," he walked over the side of the chair. He moved his hand over the top of the chair and lifted a piece of the ornamental carving. When he did, a small drawer opened beneath the seat and a green book slid out. Farore rushed over and picked it up.

"Hey!" shouted the girl as she tried to pry open the hinge. "It won't budge!"

"We know that, Farore," Din said, "But that's not all. Watch."

She took the book from the girl and walked over to one of the floor-length candelabras sitting off to the side of the throne. When she held the book over the blaze, and of the flames were repelled from it. Din quickly returned the book to her sister.

"We've tried other stuff, too. Water doesn't wet the pages and acid just slides off the cover."

"So, how do I open it?" asked the frustrated girl.

Nayru walked over and pointed to the cover. "Look here...Syrup noticed that this buckle is far younger than the rest of the book and has a different magical imprint, so that means someone other than author attached it. And there's no keyhole, but-"

"Yeah, it's another magic lock," Brittany piped up, taking the book from Farore. The oracles looked up at her. "The Gerudo slapped a bunch on Ganondorf to keep him under wraps because of his strength-otherwise, he probably would have easily broken out of his cell before Subira and I reached him," the girl traced the tiny runes carved onto the clasp. "Take a look at this...these runes are the same as the ones imprinted on the cover!"

"Hey, yeah!" Farore looked up at her sisters. "Maybe the _name_ of the book is the key!"

Din giggled. "Wouldn't surprise me...I used to lock my bracelets up from you using a lock like that when we were children."

"Can you translate any of it, Farore?" Nayru asked.

Farore shrugged. "I don't know why but...some of it looks familiar," she stared at the clasp for a moment. "'Book'...'of'...hmm, this last word's funny...it doesn't make sense."

"Why, what does it say?" Brittany asked.

"I'm trying to figure it out," huffed the irritated oracle, "but my memory is fuzzy when it comes to this. I can't tell what-"

"Just sound out come combinations and maybe we get it open that way."

Farore nodded. "Muh...doo...ro? No...that's not right. Moo...doh...ro-nope, still not it," the oracle looked as though her brain was about to explode. As Brittany held the book in her hands, however, a memory from one of her old video games came rushing back to her.

_A thick, green book...hmm...I wonder if it could be that book from 'A Link to the Past'...?_ she thought. _Guess I could give it a shot! What's the worst that could happen?_

The Empath held the book aloft. "Let's see...'_**Book of MUDORA**_'!"

Suddenly, the clasp on the side glowed and unbuckled, causing the clasp to fall to the side. Everyone stared at the girl.

"Hey, you did it!" Farore cheered. "How did you-"

"'Know'? Heh heh...long story, kiddo," the girl laughed as she recalled the video game addiction of her childhood. She pushed the book toward the viridiette. "But nevermind that! Go ahead and open it."

Farore nodded and took the volume from her friend. She quickly flipped open the heavy cover and stared down upon the first page. On the paper was drawn a beautiful picture of a land Brittany recognized from the old SNES game. Though her face showed the drawing was familiar, Farore also had a look of bafflement upon her brow. The oracle gazed down upon the page.

"So, what's it say, kiddo?"

Farore narrowed her brow. "I can't read any of the table of contents, except for the first heading," said the exasperated oracle. "It's about the eight elements."

"Okay," Link said, "that means we are getting somewhere."

Farore flipped through a few pages of illegible headings until she got to a page indented with a great, grey seal. The seal itself was blank. She attempted to turn the page, but not a single paper budged. Instead, they all held fast to the backing. Farore tried to scrap her fingernail between the pages, but the moment she did, the pages seemed to weld together."

"What's the problem, Farore?" Brittany asked.

"The book...grr...doesn't want me to turn the pages!" she growled to herself. "All we have now is a big grey spot with a bunch of unknown writing below it."

Brittany sighed. "So much for help, huh?"

Farore looked downcast. The brunette put her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Don't worry...Maybe there's some magic in the book that's keeping us from reading the rest of it for now. Either way," she turned to the others, "until that book can help us, we need to decide-"

_BOOM!_ The doors to the throneroom were shoved open by the guards and a frantic soldier came running up to them. He dropped to his knee.

"Your Majesty, forgive me for intruding," he panted, "but something terrible has happened!"

The King raised his hand. "Arise, my good sir knight," the monarch's expression grew somber. "What has happened? An invasion? A hoard of monsters?"

"Milord! The forest itself is ablaze!"

A collective gasp could be heard from each of the Hylians.

"What happened?" boomed the king.

"I am not certain. All I know is that one moment, everything is peaceful-the next, there's an explosion and a cloud of smoke and flames arose from the canopy!"

Brittany felt stirring in her pocket as the Minish on Link's shoulder began to shout. She darted out of the throneroom and through the castle corridors as fast as her legs could carry her. The moment she reached the outside, her legs nearly buckled. A huge cloud of smoke had risen over the flaming Minish Woods. Vaati struggled out of her vest pocket and clambered up to her shoulder.

"Oh, dear Goddesses...!"

"DIN!-"

"Hel-lo!" Brittany ducked just as a blur of tan and black feathers went zooming past her head. When she turned around, the tiny bird had done an about-face and flew back over to her.

"Bri-tayroo! Vaati-chu! You guys are back already!"

Brittany held out her hands for the bird to land in. "Yeah, we just arrived this morning-but nevermind that! What happened to the Minish Woods?"

"Oh, Bri-tayroo," the woodfinch raised her wings in alarm, "it's horrible! One minute, I'm in the village of the Forest Picori waiting to take Festa back to the treehouse-the next minute, I hear people shouting and pointing at the sky. When I looked up, there was this dark figure floating over the village on the back of this big winged horse. It waved its hand over the village and sent this ball of light hurling towards the ground. It hit one of the little lizards that was sunning itself on a rock-the poor thing started to grow until it changed into a monster!"

Taytl put her wings over her face and began to cry. "Taytl," Vaati called out, "what happened?"

"Vaati-chu...that monster started breathing fire on everything! All of the Minish had to run into the temple to escape the blaze, but the forest...! I barely escaped with my life! Oh, Vaati-chu-you've gotta come stop it! It's destroying the woods!"

Vaati jumped onto the bird's back just as the rest of the group came running outside. "Brittany, what happened?"

"Link, we've gotta go to the forest!" the Empath shouted. "There's a monster that attacked the Minish Village and it setting everything on fire!"

The hero nodded and they all took off running for their horses. As Altair lowered himself to the ground and Brittany climbed onto his back, Farore leapt up behind her. Brittany stared in complete confusion.

"Farore, what are you doing? This is dangerous!"

The girl clung to the Empath's mid-section and shook her head. "I'm going, too!" Brittany tried to push her off, but that only made the oracle hold tighter. "If it's a monster, I might know how to stop it! After all, I'm not called _'Hyrule's Walking Folklore Dictionary' _for nothing!"

Brittany sighed. "Alright," she grabbed onto Altair's mane, sending the horse shooting up into the air, "but you're staying on Altair the whole time!"

Farore grinned. "Fine by me!"

Meanwhile, Link hoisted himself onto the princess' horse. "Zelda," he turned around to the princess, "you'd best stay here. Only Minish are supposed to know about the village's whereabouts..."

"I understand," the royal said as she cupped the knight's hand in her own. "Please be careful, Link."

The boy nodded, then he and the others sped off towards the flaming forest.


	48. Forest of Flames

**CHAPTER FOURTY-EIGHT**

**"**_Forest of Flames_**"**

The tiny group bolted through the blazing inferno at top speed. Parts of the woodland were already so charred that nothing but the carcasses of fallen trees remained. Brittany and Link spurred the horses on, being careful not to lose sight of Taytl as she wove her way through the flaming forest. The Empath clung tightly to Altair's mane as he jumped over the numerous logs and fiery shrubs on the trail.

"Link, where's this village at?" Brittany hollered.

"Just up ahead."

"For a monster," Farore called out, "this sucker's sure good at hiding!"

About that time, fire ate through one of the blazing trees on one of the hillier parts of the forest. Brittany saw the tree and called out to Link. The hero jerked back on his horse's reins just as the flaming log crashed to the ground where he would have ridden through. The Empath let out a relieved sigh as she pulled up alongside of him.

"Damn, that was a close one!" Link shouted. "Thanks, Brit."

"We'd best keep on our guard here in this forest," Ezlo warned from the knight's shoulder. "In an inferno like this, you never know what danger you might run into-"

The sage was suddenly interrupted by what sounded like a cross between and angry growl and a whirring roar (much like the sound of flames funneled inside of turbine engine), then the simultaneous collapse of several more trees. The party whipped their heads toward the source of the noise and discovered, to their horror, an enormous lizard-resembling a giant Komodo dragon with a flattened head and beady eyes-walking around the bend next to the Minish Village. The monster must have noticed them, for it soon turned and began charging down the path after them.

"What was that you said about danger?" Brittany yelled as she jerked Altair around and sped away from the monster. The creature got about ten feet from them before it opened its broad mouth and spit out a jet of flames where her horse had been standing.

"What the hell IS that thing?" shouted a frightened Link.

"Looks like a _dodongo_-" Farore and the Empath said at the same time. The looked at one another in confusion. "How did you know about that?"

"Hey, quick speaking in sync and tell us how to stop that thing!" Ezlo cried. A moment later, Taytl swooped down between the two horses and Vaati called out to his master.

"Ezlo," the wizard called out, "I'm going to fly over to the village and check on everyone. Maybe I can put out some of the fires there while you guys try to stop that thing."

The sage nodded. "Please, be careful, Vaati! You too, Taytl!" Brittany called out as the tiny bird ascended and darted off in the direction of the Minish village. Meanwhile, the monster had come charging after the group again and was in hot pursuit. The Empath wrapped her hands tightly in Altair's mane as a determined expression crossed her face.

"C'mon, Link-let's give that damn thing a chase it won't soon forget. Hold on Farore!"

The scaly beast continued to follow the horses as they stampeded down the path. They rounded the bend and prepared to draw it off further into the forest. Unfortunately, Murphy's Law decided to go into effect and one particularly colossal tree crashed onto the trail before them-cutting off the one chance they had to lead the beast away. The warriors looked back to see the monster had ceased sprinting and was just staring at them, its hulking belly heaving from the effort.

"Hey," Brittany panted, "I think that thing's having trouble breathing."

Ezlo gave her one of his famous 'are-you-nuts' glares. "If you wanna go play doctor with a giant fire-breathing lizard, then be my guess!" he shouted. "Meanwhile, the rest of us are gonna try to figure out a way to kill it!"

"I've faced dodongos before," Link said, "but that one is WAY different from the others! They all were red or tan or something with a spiked crest around their heads, not green with the maw of a catfish!"

"I remember reading an old text describing monsters that were around before the Great Flood," Farore piped up. "It said that one species of dodongo liked to live in volcanic mountains because the warmth of the lava-heated caverns helped hatch their eggs. They were really fast-growing and could get up to about 30 feet tall during their lifetimes."

"Great!" barked the sage. "That'll come in handy if we ever want to raise a mythological pet!"

"Dammit, Ezlo! Does that thing-" Brittany waved her arm toward the monster, "look like a freaking myth? 'Cause I'm pretty sure the fire it caused isn't!"

"Shhh! Keep it down!" Farore hushed them. "Look!"

They all looked down the path they had came. About twenty-odd yards away, the dodongo was moving its head back and forth in a strange motion. Now and then, it would move a little in one direction or the other, then turn back to another in confusion.

"It can't see us very well," Link pointed out.

"Dodongos weren't renown for their eyesight. According to the bestiary I read," the oracle continued, "the legendary hero who faced them said they relied on the echoes in their cavernous homes to pinpoint the location of their prey."

Brittany gasped. "That means all the racket we were making earlier is what drew it to us!" She heard a murmur of agreement from the oracle.

"Well, that still doesn't help us kill it!" Link yelled. "Even if we were able to sneak up on it, we'd be roasted before we could strike the first blow!"

"That's what I was getting to!" Farore shouted. "Dodongos have highly flammable acids in their stomachs. The hero was only able to destroy them throwing a well-timed bomb into its mouth-"

"-And then the resulting explosion..." Link smiled.

"...Would cause it to blow up from the inside-out!" Brittany cheered. "Brilliant, Farore! Link," the Empath turned to the knight, "how many bombs do you have on you?"

The hero jumped down from his steed and began frantically digging through the saddlebags. He carefully pulled out a small pouch as Altair lowered himself for Brittany to get off. She hurried over to Link's side as he finished inventory of the bombs.

"Damn it..."

"What's wrong?" Brittany noticed the look of anguish on the boy's face. He dumped out the contents of the pouch into his hand, revealing only a single round explosive that was a little over a hand's breadth long. "But how are we going to get this thing in its mouth? Either it'll blow up before we can get it in or we'll wind up extra crispy from that thing's breath!"

All of a sudden, a flash of light streaked over the flaming trail behind the dodongo and slammed into its head. The thing gave a shriek and began whipping back and forth in search of the attack. Brittany looked up in horror to find a Hylian-form Vaati standing in the middle of the bend with a ball of energy formed in his hand.

"Hey, you scaly bastard!" the mage shouted. "Come get me!"

Brittany shot forward. "Oh, Lord-_**Vaati!**_" Link grabbed hold of her arm to hold her back.

"What is that foolish boy doing?" Ezlo screamed. "He'll be killed!"

Suddenly, Brittany turned around and snatched at the bomb in Link's hand. The knight jerked in back just as her fingers swiped the side of it. "What are you doing?"

"Gimme that bomb, Link! I won't let Vaati get hurt!"

Link shook her wrist. "I can't let you waste our one bomb in a hasty attack!" Brittany lunged for the explosive, but she was shoved back. The duo struggled for a few moments before a screech rang out down the path. Everyone looked up to see an angry Taytl diving at the dodongo, beating the reptile's head with her tiny beak. Each time the bird attacked, the monster would turn in another direction. After a couple of fiery spurts, the beast began to roar with anger.

"That's _**IT!**_" Brittany and Link shouted at once. They climbed back onto their horses and took off toward the monster. As they got close, Brittany shouted to her feathered friend.

"Taytl! Keep distracting it!"

"Got'cha!" chimed the bird. Just as the dodongo turned to spew a round at the riders, Taytl swooped down and began hammering its face again. She flapped back after a few hits and let out a screech, causing the monster to give chase after her. Meanwhile, the rest of the party spurred themselves over to Vaati, then everyone-with the exception of Farore-leapt down off of their horses.

"Vaati, you moron!" Ezlo shouted as the group ran over to the mage, who was currently crouched down by the end of the path. "What were you trying to pull just now?"

The Hylian scowled. "I was TRYING to distract it-mmph!" Brittany capped her hand over the boy's mouth.

"Hush! That thing can only find us if it _hears_ us!"

She eased her hand from the youth's mouth and Vaati glared at her. "Is everyone in the village okay?" Link hastily asked.

"They're fine...Festa has everyone holed up in the temple. But if we don't do something soon, there's not going to be a village left for them to go back to!"

Link held up the bomb. "If we get this into its mouth, it'll be the end of that thing!"

"Vaati," Brittany suggested, "can you use your magic to shoot that thing? None of us can get close enough to throw it in without becoming Hylian Fried Cucco, if you get what I'm saying."

The mage gave a shaky nod. "I...I'll try," he stood from his spot and motioned to Link. The hero quickly bolted over to a nearby tree and held the fuse up to the flames. By the time he ran back, Vaati had a grave look on his face.

"TATYL!" Brittany shouted, quickly getting the attention of the bird. "Get him to turn around here and open his mouth!"

The winged warrior quickly obeyed. She dove into another flurry of attacks to turn the monster around. While the dodongo was slowly being worked into position, Vaati commanded Link to toss the bomb into the air.

Brittany felt time come to a near stand-still. Her eyes seemed to take in every detail around her: the bomb as it gradually plummeted toward the earth, Vaati's determined grimace as he brought his arms back and forced them forward into a carrier gale, the anxious expressions of her friends. She watched as the magic-brewed wind hurled the explosive through the air. Taytl descended one last time and gave a particularly hard jab to the monster's nose. Finally, the creature opened its mouth wide just as the bomb spiraled towards it and...

_RWAACHOOOOOOOOO!_

The Empath gazed on in pure shock as the monster let out a fiery sneeze, detonating the bomb mere inches from its gaping maw. The girl felt her legs give out from beneath her as the dodongo let out a furious roar. Her heart sank.

"No!" she heard Link breath an anguished cry. She looked up at Vaati and saw the despair etched onto his face.

"I've doomed us all..." the mage stared on as he collapsed onto his knees. "I nearly destroyed the Minish Village once, and now my mistake has written its epitaph."

Brittany gazed out over the clearing and watched as Taytl's attacks became weaker and less frequent. The bird was tiring-and so was she. She heard Farore go into a fit of coughs just as the smoke began to tear at her own lungs. The intense heat of the woodland inferno was getting to her and all she

wanted to do was sleep. She forced herself to stay awake as she climbed to her feet.

"You guys," Farore wheezed, "I don't feel so well..."

The Empath glanced over at the oracle, who was currently slumped against Altair's neck-one arm draped around his neck and the other holding the '_Book of Mudora_' to her chest. Heaving a sigh, she turned to her dismounted friends. She walked over to Vaati and-in a gesture very uncharacteristic of herself-slipped her arms around him into a hug.

"It wasn't your fault, Vaati," she leaned her head against his back. "You tried."

She felt the mage's body go a bit limp. "But I blew the one chance of saving us all...I have doomed both the Forest Picori and all of you to die."

"It doesn't matter," Brittany tightened her embrace. "You got us this far. Without you, Farore would be in the clutches of some wicked demon and the rest of us would have been slaughtered by the Gerudo."

"Brittany?"

The girl raised her head. "Yes, Vaati?" The mage looked over his shoulder.

"Thank you...for being my friend."

With the intense sorrow behind the mage's words overwhelming her, the Empath burrowed her face into his long lavender hair and sighed. While the mage leaned into the maiden's embrace, his teacher was looking on at the whole scene. He gazed down at his pupil who, for the first time since he found the boy, had a look of peace on his face (though a defeated peace, may it be). Ezlo may have been a crotchety old Minish from time to time, but he was not unfamiliar to the ways of love.

And the look on Vaati's face was enough to convince him of what he must do.

It was time for the old sage to go out...

..._with a __**bang**_.


	49. Ezlo, the Wise Old Sage

**CHAPTER FOURTY-NINE**

**"**_Ezlo, the Wise Old Sage_**"**

With a determined look on his face, Ezlo straightened himself up and cleared his throat.

"Vaati!"

The mage's head snapped up. "Master?"

"There is still one way to defeat that dodongo, or whatever the heck it's called," Brittany lifted her head, and she and Vaati stared at Ezlo in surprise, "but I must ask you to do something that you will not particularly like."

Vaati stood up and walked over to the sage on Link's shoulder. "I'll do it!" he half-gasped, half-whispered. "If it will save everyone, then whatever it is-"

"But you will not be able to save _everyone_, Vaati."

The mage blinked. What was Ezlo talking about?

"Vaati...put out your hands so I can climb into them."

The mage complied. His master grunted and tapped his staff on the youth's palm.

"Vaati, m'boy, I have watched you grow from a tiny impling into adulthood. Over the years, I have come to consider you as my own son. I fought with Link to get you back when the darkness in your heart changed you into a demon, I taught you the basics of the magical trade, and-"

Ezlo glanced over at the Empath still kneeling on the ground.

"-And I watched you redeem yourself in the eyes of a few good friends."

"Master," Vaati choked out, "why are you talking like this?"

Ezlo crossed his hands over the top of his staff. "Vaati," he gazed up at his pupil, "it is time for your apprenticeship to end. From this day forth, it will be up to you to learn the secrets of the world and use them to help both humans and your fellow Picori."

The mage's face paled. "Ezlo, you can't mean-!"

"I am afraid that our time together must draw to a close," the sage nodded. "Please, I ask you to summon the wind to send me after the dodongo. Once he swallows me, I will conjure up a fire ball and detonate the monster's stomach. Once it has been defeated, I need you to put out what fire you can and get the Forest Picori to safety..."

Vaati furiously shook his head. "No! I can't-I _**won't**_sacrifice you, Master! Please..." tears streamed down the youth's face, "...don't ask me to..."

Ezlo gestured for the Hylian to lower his face. He put one of his wrinkled, claw-like hands on the young man's face and wiped away a tear, leaving a soot-filled stain smeared onto the boy's face.

"Vaati," he looked up at his pupil, "I make this choice of my own free will. I make this sacrifice so that you and-" he glanced over at Brittany, "-the ones precious to you may live to fight another day. The world still needs you to stop the evil Farore prophesized. I am old and have lived a long life. Please...as my final request...let _**ME**_ be the one who saves the day for once."

The lavender-haired Hylian let out a sob. He clenched his eyes shut as the tears gushed forth. Every ounce of guilt over what he had previously done to his master came flooding out in one heart-wrenching scene. Ezlo reached up and kissed the boy on the forehead, making the boy open his bleary eyes.

Ezlo turned to Link-he was tearing up, too. "Link," he said to the knight, "I've enjoyed all of our adventures together. They made me feel young again. Farore," he looked over at the crying oracle, "I want you to know that I always...liked you far better than your eldest sister. Tell her not to wreck the treehouse, okay?"

The oracle nodded. Ezlo then turned to Brittany and motioned for her to come near. "Brittany," he spoke as the girl came closer, "you are still rude."

Brittany sniffed. "And you're still an impatient old Minish geezer." Ezlo let out a chuckle.

"That's true," he smiled, "but this 'old geezer' knows a good person when he sees one," he reached his hand out the girl, who offered her finger in return (no, she did NOT flick him off!). He placed his hand on the digit and looked up at her. "Brittany...you have given me one of the greatest gifts that I could ever hope to receive. It is because of you Vaati now has a very dear and caring friend. Please take care of him for me."

The Empath nodded sadly. "I will."

Ezlo looked back up at Vaati. "Alright, boy-let's end this battle once and for all!"

Vaati choked back a sob as his master turned away from him. He stared straight ahead at the dodongo as his friends moved back. Steeling his composure as best as he could muster, the mage pulled himself into a stance. He lowered his arms and, feeling the sting of the fire's smoke stinging his teary eyes, he threw his arms into the air-sending Ezlo into a flip. Quickly, the spell flowed from his mind to his lips as he brought his arms around in a circle. As his master fell to mid-chest level on the mage, Vaati thrust his arms forward and sent Ezlo spinning in a whirlwind toward the monster.

"I'll always be with you, Vaati!" shouted the sage as he spiraled through the air.

The mage broke into tears again and his voice raised to an agonized cry.

"Master..._Father!_ I love you!"

With that emotional cry, Vaati collapsed to the ground as he watched the Picori who had cared for him all of his life hurdle towards his death. He felt Brittany's arms wrap around him in a crushing grip and Link's steely grip on his shoulder as the remnants of his composure fell apart. Ezlo flew into a tailspin as the dodongo's gaping jaws opened in welcome...

_Hum...hum...hummmm..._

Farore blinked her bleary eyes as the book in her grasp began to vibrate. She glanced down and saw an eerie green light pouring out from between two of the pages. Flipping the book open she saw, to her amazement, the words on the page with the big grey circle were _**glowing**_. And not just glowing-she could read them!

Suddenly, she heard a voice speaking to her in the back of her mind. Instinctively, she read the strange runes aloud...

"_Avahkti collos spiritis ni forestatsi, rex ni mushara librou...!" _she looked up just as the dodongo's jaws closed around her Minish friend. "..._**AWAKEN GREAT SAGE OF THE FOREST, MASTER OF THE WOODLAND LABYRINTH!**_"

Farore watched in awe as the grey filled in with a vibrant green and four crescent-shaped leaves spun onto the page. There was a tiny chime as the indention filled in. Suddenly, the oracle heard shouting.

"Look!" Link cried out. The viridiette glanced up to see that the dodongo was now glowing with the same energy as the book had been. The creature gave a great roar as it was lifted into the air. A shimmering ball formed around it and increased in radiance until she and the others had to cover their eyes to keep from going blind.

Farore peeked beneath the arm she had raised and saw a ball of green energy containing a now tiny lizard lowering itself to the ground. Once the magic faded, the little animal curled up and fell asleep. The oracle dropped her arm and squinted into the green brilliance. Inside of it floated one of the mysterious figures from her nightmare, its hands outstretched and its head raised proudly.

A crack resounded through the clearing. Farore turned toward the Minish village at the end of the trail and saw that the trees on the bank had finally collapsed. The dying logs plummeted through the air toward the tiny town, but the sage noticed them. Raising its left hand, the shining entity swept its hand over the area. Immediately, the logs were lifted up and rooted on the bank as the fire in half of the forest was extinguished. The sage then waved its right hand and doused the remainder of the inferno.

Finally, it clasped its hands together in prayer, then raised its arms heavenward-causing the radiance around it to grow and tiny beams of light to shoot out across the forest. Farore and the others looked on as each of the beams showered green sparkles onto the land. Every place a sparkle landed, a miracle occurred: a tree was healed, tufts of grass popped up, flowers blossomed. Within moments, the entire Minish Woods had bloomed into the most lush woodland that the young oracle had ever seen.

Farore beamed. _Looks like Ezlo wasn't kidding when he said he was a Sage..._

Brittany had clung tightly to Vaati the whole time. She vaguely remembered Farore calling out some strange chant, then saw the dodongo become engulfed in magic and become a tiny lizard again. What was even more amazing was the glowing spirit that emerged from the light the monster had been incased in and how the blazing forest had transformed into what easily could have been dubbed Hyrule National Park.

The Empath felt a strange relaxing breeze rush over her as she looked upon the light encasing the strange apparition. Once the forest had been repaired (and vastly improved), the glowing entity descended and the magic surrounding it dimmed to a less blinding intensity. Brittany let out a gasp as the identity of the being registered to her.

"Ezlo!" she cried out in happiness. The Minish was still a foot tall, but he now had longer, flowing robes that dangled long past his feet. Most of his hair hung down long in the back, with the exception of a snowy white topknot curled up in the back. His beard had grown, too, and now fell down past his knees.

He smiled at her. "I told you I was a Sage, girl."

"Master..."

Brittany looked at the boy in her grasp. His eyes were wide with joyful surprise, and his lips were quivering with words that he just could not find the energy to mutter. Ezlo smiled at him.

"Vaati," he said, "I thank you. With the help of you and your friends, I have been able to awaken as the Sage of the Forest. I apologize for putting you through that horrible ordeal."

Tears of happiness streamed down the mage's face. "You jerk..." he sniffed. "Why'd'ya have to go and make me cry like that?"

The sage glided over to the youth. "I did not wish to hurt you, my son," crooned the Minish in a fatherly tone. "To tell the truth, I did not know if I was going to make it myself, either. I suppose the awakening process varies a bit from Sage to Sage."

By now, Farore had slid off of Altair and had made her way over to the group. Ezlo looked up at her.

"Nice timing, child," the Picori spoke, "but you cut it a bit close, did you not?" The oracle had a confused luck cross her face, causing Ezlo to chuckle. "Oh, I suppose you don't know about it just yet..."

"Know about what, Ezlo?" the girl asked. The sage floated up and a bit toward the village.

"Even _I_ do not remember much of the tale," he admitted, "but I will elucidate upon that which I do. Farore, as you may have realized from both your kidnapping and your nightmares, the world is in danger. The cloaked man who attacked you in your dream was the very same who transformed that innocent creature-" he pointed to the sleeping lizard, which now rested in Brittany's hands. "-into a fire-breathing monster."

"Who is he, Ezlo?" Vaati asked. "And what does he want?"

The Sage sadly shook his head. "I know only bits and pieces of the tale. The prophecy was split up between the Sages so that no single one of us would reveal too much of the story at once."

Brittany gave a frustrated grunt. "Then tell us what you do know."

"I can only tell you about the Sages. Each of us are descended from a line of ancient Hylians. Farore," he turned to the oracle, "do you remember the map in your book?"

"Of that weird country? Yeah..."

"Well, that was once Hyrule. Not the one you know, but Hyrule nevertheless," he stroked his beard. "But I digress...We Sages each control one of the Eight Elements. I, myself, control the Secondary Element of the Forest. With my power, I can guarantee that the cloaked man who came after you shall not be able to use another forest or its inhabitants against you. His darkness has been banished from any portion of the realm governed by my powers."

He looked down at the Empath.

"Brittany...After witnessing how you have braved your journey so far, I have found you to be a very bold and impetuous young woman. I believe that you, Vaati, and the others will be able to take down the cloaked man. Therefore," the Sage rose up toward the sky and lifted his arms. A beacon of light formed above him, then shrunk into a tiny, flatter medallion, "I am giving you this medallion. With this, you can communicate with me if need be. Also, it will help you further tap into your magical essence."

The green medallion floated down into Brittany's hands. Vaati reached over and placed his hand over the medal. "Does that mean you are not coming with us?" he asked. Ezlo shook his head.

"I cannot. While you are out on your journey, I must remain here. The Forest Temple-_my_ temple-is here. It is my duty to pray for your safe passage and to prevent the Nature Element from being taken over."

The mage looked up at his old master. The elder floated down to youth's ear and whispered.

"Just a word of advice, kid...don't let that one slip away."

Vaati gave Ezlo an odd look, but all the Sage did was give a slight, barely-noticeable nod towards the brunette girl nearby. The mage cocked his head as if to ask what his teacher had meant. Ezlo merely smiled.

"Now...I must take leave of our little party," the Sage replied. He hovered back until he was directly over the Minish Village, then he began to glow brighter than before. Soon, the Forest Picori that had hidden in the temple came scampering out to see what the bright light was. They looked up just as the shining radiance transformed into a green crystal, which then shrunk down to Minish size and descended into the hole in the center of the temple.

_Vaati..._the mage heard a voice speaking to his mind..._I will always consider you...my son..._

And with that, there was a chime from Farore's book. The tiny group turned around as she flipped open to the new section.

"What's it say, Farore?" Link asked.

"It talks about the Element of Nature-or Forest, as we might call it-and what it controls," she answered once she had skimmed the few pages. "But the first Sage of Forest is in here, along with a bunch of proverbs and historical information. See?"

She held up the book and to show her friends. In the corner of one page was a picture of a short Hylian in green. He had a longish nose and sharp eyes, and he held a staff with a bird's head on the top-Ezlo's trademark.

"Well...whad'dya know..." Link said. Farore continued through the volume until she reached another page with a huge grey circle on it.

"Looks like each of the sections opens as the Sages are awakened," Brittany noticed. She stood and looked at the medallion in her hand. "I guess this means we've got one down..."

"C'mon," the knight said, "let's go back and tell the others what happened."

Everyone nodded. As they went to leave, Vaati turned and gave one last look toward the temple that his master had disappeared into. As the Sage's whispered advice came back to him, he smiled. He let out a small giggle and shook his head, then turned to find an entrance from which to shrink.


	50. The Message

**CHAPTER FIFTY**

**"**_The Message_**"**

Brittany wasn't surprised to see Zelda's reaction when they returned. The princess immediately ran up to Link and threw her arms around his neck. The Empath just smiled and shook her head. It wasn't until the oracles mentioned the absence of Ezlo that what happened in the forest came out.

"So...Ezlo was really the Sage of the Forest?" Din asked. "I never knew the cantankerous old imp had it in him."

Nayru clasped her hands together. "To think the guardian of the Nature Element was right under our noses the whole time!"

"If someone so close to us was one of the Sages," Brittany chimed in, "then maybe we know some of the others."

"Perhaps...in fact," the singer beamed, "I would say the possibility of your having met another Sage prior to now is quite great! After all, you have already been in the right place at the right time several times since you arrived here. It seems as though each step you take becomes another piece of this divine puzzle."

The Empath nodded. "So, where are you all headed after this?" the Hylian King asked.

"Back to the Desert Wastes," she replied. "We're going to see if we can get some help from the Gerudo Queen Mother in taking back the Southern Kingdom. Hopefully, we will be able to rescue Subira and Yubira in the process. But first..." the brunette drew the fanged turtle medallions from her vest pocket. "I need to deliver a message."

"Very well, then," the King said. "While you tie up loose ends here, I will see to it that any supplies that you need be gathered."

Brittany gave a slight bow before turning and leaving the throneroom. With Vaati riding on one shoulder (he couldn't exactly fit into her pockets anymore because of the medallions) and Taytl perched atop the other, she and her small party headed toward Lon Lon Ranch.

Milo had been the first to spot them (Brittany may have been better at reading emotions than faces, but the scowl on the workhand's face spoke volumes). Moments later, Malon came running up the path to meet them. She called out each of her friends' names as she came closer.

"Hey there, Malon!" Link waved.

"Oh, Link-you're back!" cried the redhead. "And you've brought Farore, too! Oh, how wonderful!"

Brittany snickered. "She's not the _only_ one we've brought with us," the brunette thumbed toward Altair, who was following her every step of the way. Malon giggled as she approached.

"Well, it looks like he has taken a fancy to you, Brittany!" the rancher mused. "Milo didn't notice he was gone until he had run almost out of sight. There was no catching him after that."

"What did you expect?" huffed Ganondorf. "A Gerudo horse takes after a Gerudo maiden."

The rancher girl looked up at the dark man towering over her and gasped. "My goodness, Link! I thought you were teasing when you said you might pick up some other people along the way!"

"Malon," Link gestured to the desert prince, "meet Ganondorf, Prince of the Gerudo."

Malon gasped and made a small curtsy. "I-it's a pleasure to meet you, sir!" The dark man walked over and began circling the young woman. The rancher girl looked like she was going to freak out.

"Don't worry, Malon-he did that to me when I first met him," Brittany assured her. "I think he was a vulture in another life." Ganondorf shot a glare over at the Empath, causing her to laugh. "What? You circle people like one!"

The man rolled his eyes at the remark and crossed his arms. He looked back down at the frightened maiden.

"She looks too much like a Hylian, but her face and hair clearly belong to Subira."

Malon gazed up in bewilderment. A few moments later, Talon and Milo joined the party.

"Well, now! What have we here? If I had known we'd be expecting visitors again so soon, I would have gotten the place cleaned up-" The rancher stopped short and looked up at Ganondorf. His eyes widened at the sight of the desert man. Defensively, he eased his way in front of Malon. "You're of Gerudo blood, aren't you?" asked the rancher. Ganondorf nodded.

"I take it that this-" the prince pointed to the paunchy man, "-is him?"

Brittany nodded. Sighing, she walked over to the ranchers and reached into her vest pocket. "Talon..." she took a deep breath as she pulled the fanged turtle medallions from her pocket. She placed the medals in the man's awaiting hands and watched as a furious grimace marked his brow.

"Where did you get this?" he ran his thumb over the platinum medallion.

"Hey, Dad, that looks just like the medallion I gave Link!"

Brittany told Malon. "That's because one of them _**IS**_, Malon. The other...came from the Grand Vizier of the Gerudo. She told me to tell you," she turned to Talon, "that she still loves you, and that your daughter grew up into a fine young woman."

Talon's eyes never left the ornaments in his hand. Malon, however, looked about the crowd with a distraught grimace on her face. "Dad, what is she talking about? Who is this Grand Vizier person and how does she know me?"

"It wasn't you she was talking about, Malon..."

The girl's eyes widened. "Then who...?"

Talon clenched his fingers around the medals and held them to his face. "The daughter the Gerudo woman spoke of is your _sister_, Malon," he choked back his emotions, "and the woman who sent this medallion is your mother."

Milo's face went sheet white and Malon flinched back as though she had been struck. She put her hand on her heart as her breathing quickened and her eyes began to tear up. "I knew it...I _**KNEW**_ it!" she screamed. "I _did_ have a sister! I knew it!"

"Malon..." Talon walked over and tried to hug his daughter, but she pushed him away.

"How could you lie to me like this? All of these years, all of those dreams I had about having a sister-I thought I was going crazy! And now, to find out that they are real..." her face fell as tears poured down her face. She clapped her hands over her eyes. "I'm sorry everyone-"

The girl bolted from the spot and took off across the field with Milo close behind. Talon watched his daughter run out of site before turning back to the Empath.

"You never told her she had a sister?" Brittany looked on with concern. Talon shook his head.

"I told her that her mother died on a journey when she was a child. I didn't tell her the truth because I was afraid that she would leave and never come back."

"But why, Talon?" Link asked. "You could have at least told her about Yubira!"

"I _couldn't_, Link! I just couldn't!" the man's face fell. "Do you know what I would have given all of these years for Malon to have grown up with her sister? I thought it was best she never knew..."

Brittany started waving her hands. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Time out a minute!" the girl formed a 'T' with her fingers. "Explanation time!"

Talon looked over the field where Malon had sprinted across. "Come inside," sighed the burly man. "Will one of you please fetch Malon? I suppose she has gone to the barn where she usually hides when she is upset."

"I'll do it," Brittany volunteered. "After all, it was my message that upset her."

With that being said, the Empath set out across the ranch while the others followed Talon inside the farmhouse. Sure enough, the girl was right where her father had suspected. Brittany followed the strong trail of emotions to one of the empty stalls where Malon had hidden. The redhead had thrown herself across a pile of straw and was weeping openly. Milo knelt beside the distraught maiden.

Brittany stood outside of the stall and listened to the pair for the longest time.

"How could he lie to me?" Malon cried.

"There, there..." the workhand smoothed her hair. "I've known your father for a very long time, Malon. He's a good man. I'm sure he only had your best interests at heart."

"I feel like such a fool!" she beat the straw with her fists. "I knew I had a sister...I did..."

The Empath couldn't take the overwhelming surge of emotion coming from her friend any longer. She cleared her throat loudly as she rounded the edge of the stall. Milo looked up at her with worry etched onto his face as Brittany walked over and dropped down beside the prostrate maiden.

"Malon..."

The rancher raised her head, revealing a reddened face and bleary eyes. "Oh," she sat up and rubbed her eyes, "it's you, Brittany."

"Hey, kid, don't be so hard on your father," the Empath said.

"But he _LIED_ to me!" wailed the girl. "I kept having dreams about my twin, but he told me I just ate something weird before I went to bed, or I was too stressed out, or I had been in the sun too long...not ONCE did he tell me the truth! And not only that, but he lied about my mother's death, as well."

Milo wrapped his arms around the young woman and began to rock her back and forth. Malon sniffed.

The Empath clenched her fists by her sides. "Malon, at least you have a father who cares about you!" she blurted out. "Even if he DID keep your mother and sister a secret, at least he wanted you! He gave you a stable life, a loving home, and a caring companion! He only wanted what was best for you."

"How would you know?"

Brittany's voice became steely cold.

"It was because my father chose to go after another whore that my mother tried to kill me."

The two ranchers stared at Brittany with mouths agape. Finally, the piercing chill in her gaze softened and she looked away.

"So why don't you give your father a chance to explain? You'll feel better for it."

The rancher sighed and pushed herself away from Milo.

"Okay...let's go."

Talon and the others had been waiting anxiously until Malon showed up. She sauntered into the farmhouse with one person on each side of her. The rancher motioned for his daughter and her friends to take a seat. They quickly complied. Once the head rancher had settled himself into his chair, he leaned forward and propped his elbows against his knees.

"I had wanted to wait until you were older to tell you this story," Talon said, "but it cannot be helped now."

The rancher heaved a sigh.

"It all started twenty years ago, when I was still a young man..."


	51. How I Met Your Mother

**CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE**

**"**_How I Met Your Mother_**"**

"I had just turned nineteen," Talon recalled. "The remnants of autumn were being fast replaced by signs of the oncoming winter. Most of the trees were barren without their leaves and both the days and nights were marked by their unnatural chill. My father had recently died, so I was left to run the place on my own. Back then, I was a farmer rather than the owner of the successful Lon Lon Ranch. The only livestock I had were a few cuccos, a milk cow, and a two horses. Luckily, the horses were some of the most powerful beasts in Hyrule, so I was hoping that their offspring would help supplement the diminutive income I was making."

"Anyway, I awoke in the middle of the night to a fierce snowstorm. Fearing for the well-being of the animals, I threw on my coat and grabbed a lantern, then headed out to the barn. When I arrived in the barn, I took a quick head count and discovered, to my horror, that one of the horses was missing."

"Knowing that the blizzard could easily freeze a wanton horse to death, I steeled myself against the cold and set out after it. The wind was blowing so hard that it nearly knocked me off my feet and the thick blankets of snow made it difficult to both see and walk. I trudged through the bitter cold for a while until a heard a whinny. Thinking it was the missing mare, I took off in the direction of the sound."

Talon shivered as he remembered the icy storm.

"However, the animal that had called out was NOT mine. As I approached the source of the sound, I noticed that that particular horse was much taller than my own, and its coloring was dark. Also, I had unloaded my mare the evening before-this horse wore a saddle and a blanket with strange patterns on it. I had never seen such a magnificent beast before but from its substantial height and power, I guessed that it must have belonged to a visiting noble."

"I was already numb from the cold and realized that my body could not hold out much longer. I gave up hope of finding my mare and decided to bring the warhorse back to the ranch with me-I couldn't just leave it to die in the snow! However, when I pulled on the reins to lead it, the beast refused to move. After several tries, I figured that the creature's master must be around somewhere. I quickly scanned the area and saw, to my surprise, a cloaked figure curled up at the base of a tree."

"I rushed over to check the person. The snow had already half-caked on him, so he was nearly buried. When I pulled him out, though, I realized that I was not a he," Talon said. "A young woman, no more than a year my junior, if even that, had collapsed. I hurried and laid the girl over her horse then turned and lead the beast back to the ranch."

"When we got back, I quickly stuck the woman's mare in the empty stall and draped a blanket over it. I then took its owner into the house and laid her put her to bed. I set to work building a fire and, once I had it roaring, I went back to see just whom I had rescued."

"The woman was very different from the girls that I had grown up with. She was very tall and athletic, while most Hylian women were more delicately built. She had dark skin the color of rich caramel and hair as bright as rubies. Her clothing consisted of chest-length pants and a vest," he looked up at the Empath. "It looked a lot like what you're wearing, Brittany."

"Anyway, the girl woke up the next morning. She was quite surprised when she found herself in my house but, after I explained everything to her, she began to understand. She told me that she was a Gerudo-a member of an all-female tribe found in the Desert Wastes. She had been coming out adventuring when she got trapped in the blizzard. Apparently, she did not know enough about Hylian weather not to travel during winter."

"The storm didn't let up until a week later-and it took about two weeks just to melt down enough to walk across the field. The entire time, Subira and I were stranded on the ranch. We talked about our countries and our lives and what we wanted to do in the future. After having just lost my father, her companionship was a godsend."

"One day, as we was taking care of the horses-my stallion and her warhorse, as my mare had perished during the blizzard-Subira noticed that hers was pregnant. Because she did not want to risk losing the colt, she decided to stay in Hyrule until its birth. Winter passed into spring and I still found Subira by my side. I taught her about horticulture and showed her all of the sights in Hyrule. In return, she helped me with the gardens and taught me the finer points of business. It was thanks to her that Lon Lon Ranch became head of the Hylian dairy market."

"During her stay on the ranch, I began to enjoy her company more and more. Each time I saw her face, my spirit was refreshed. Her words comforted me in my time of need and she became my dear friend. The closer the day came for the birth of the colt, the more agitated I became. I did not want her to leave. In our short time together, I had fallen in love with that dark-skinned desert beauty."

"Eventually, Subira's mare foaled. She decided to stick around for a while longer in so that the colt would not be too young to travel. After a couple of weeks, I realized that I could not bear the thought of her departure any longer. One night, I got up my courage to tell her how I felt about her. I found her in her usual place. She was standing in the barn brushing her mare when I walked up to her."

"I had planned to be so suave about the whole situation," Talon admitted, "and just march up to her and tell her to stay. Instead, when she turned to speak with me, my knees nearly buckled and my words caught in my throat. When she asked me what was wrong, I couldn't even manage to tell her anything! I stood there, my mouth gaping like a fish on a hook. She thought it was a joke and laughed at me."

"It felt like forever before I could say anything. My heart was pounding so fast I thought it was gonna explode. So, I did the first thing that came to mind: I grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her."

A faint blush crept onto the rancher's cheeks as he recalled that particular memory.

"Before I realized it, I wound up blurting out everything. I had expected her to slap me or stomp off, but she never did," Talon beamed, his mind lost in nostalgia. "Instead, she _smiled_...and teased me about taking too long to tell me. She said if I had waited any longer, she would have ran out of excuses to stay and had to have confessed herself!"

The portly man smiled. "That night, I asked Subira to be my wife. She said that the Gerudo never took husbands, and those that did could never return home. However, she loved me enough that she consented to my proposal and we were married a short time later. Within a year of our union, you," he looked up at Malon, "and your little sister were born."

Malon pumped her fists in the air. "I knew I was the oldest!"

Her father smiled. "During those short few years, Lon Lon Ranch blossomed into a success. We added more land and took on more cattle. By the time you two were born, I felt like I was living in heaven."

"But it didn't last," Brittany spoke up. Talon shook his head.

"On the day of the girls' first Picori Festival, Subira and I went into town to sell milk. While we were there, my wife ran into another Gerudo woman. As it turned out, the woman was Subira's childhood friend and had come looking for her. While Subira was away, a civil war had broke out between the two Gerudo kingdoms. The sister of the Queen had caused an uprising because she had wanted to take power herself by trying to assassinate her sister. Unfortunately, Subira's mother-the late Grand Vizier-threw herself in front of the Queen and died by the traitor's sword."

"The woman said that Subira had to come back at once. Because none of the Gerudo save Subira, her late mother and Subira's childhood friend knew of our marriage, my wife would be allowed to return and take her mother's place. Because the war had gone out of control and the Queen was still feeling poorly from a recent miscarriage, Subira was the only one whom the Queen could really trust to act as reagent."

A grim expression crossed Talon's face.

"Subira and I made the hardest decision of our lives that night. As much as she loved Malon and me, she could not stave the love for her people. As reagent, however, it was imperative that she had an heir should the unthinkable happen. However, she could not bear to endanger both of her children by bringing them into such treacherous a region. So, because Yubira had the round ears of the Gerudo and darker skin, she took her back to the Desert Wastes. I'll never forget how much she cried when she had to leave Malon behind..."

Talon stared straight ahead for a long time, his face pale and aura brimming with bittersweet nostalgia. Malon hiccupped.

"I'm sorry I never told you," he said, "but I did not want you to know about a mother and sister with whom you could never speak. We cut off all ties after that so no one would suspect her being married. Your mother sold her mare to a friend of mine in order to pay for expenses of war. Although, once the mare died foaling her first colt-the little bandit that follows Brittany around-he sold it to me because it refused to eat anything fed to it by anyone but myself."

Malon walked over and threw her arms around her father. The girl cried for a while, but when she finally calmed down she took her seat back on the couch.

"One thing puzzles me, Brittany," Malon said. "How did my mother know to give the medallion to you?"

Brittany and her friends went on to explain their tale-carefully leaving out any parts about Vaati. Malon and her father's expressions became grave as the story unfurled.

"So, my mother and sister could be imprisoned right now?"

The Empath nodded. "That's where we're going right after this."

Malon clasped her hands together. "Please, take me with you!" Milo and Talon let out a collective gasp.

"Are you crazy, Malon?" her father asked. "There's a rebellion going on!"

"But they're our family, father!" the rancher retorted. "I can use a pitchfork as a weapon, and I swear I won't be any trouble! I can cook for you guys and-"

"Sorry," Ganondorf boomed, "but even though you are a Gerudo by blood, you do not have the temperament of one. You are far too soft-hearted for battle and I doubt that your body would sustain you during such. We are already taking a big risk by having the oracle accompany us."

Malon then turned to Link. "Oh, Link...please? She's my sister..."

Link shook his head. "You heard the big guy, Malon."

"But, Zelda-" the princess shook her head. "Brittany...?"

"Malon, you are the only child Talon has left," the Empath piped up. "You do not know the danger on the trail. We nearly lost Impa, and she was more than capable of defending herself. I'm sorry, but your father needs you more right now than your mother and sister do."

Brittany stood and, much to Malon's protests, went on to leave without her. Of course, Altair started following the Empath again, so it was hard trying to get him to stay.

"Take him with you," Talon said.

"What? No, he's too precious to you-"

The rancher smiled. "I insist. After all," he patted the horse's flank, "he'll just run away again when we put him up."

"Talon is correct, Brittany," Ganondorf joined in. "Once a Gerudo-bred horse chooses its owner, there is no separating it. That's why they make such fierce beasts in battle."

Brittany raised and eyebrow. "Really? I thought it was the fact that they are _FREAKING HUGE!_"

The prince and rancher let out a laugh. Altair lowered himself to the ground and allowed Brittany and Farore to climb on. The brunette glanced down at her shoulder where Taytl sat. She turned to Malon.

"I promise I'll do my best to save them," she vowed.

Malon nodded. "We're counting on you!" Talon shouted. And with that, the group headed back to the castle to prepare for the next part of their voyage.


	52. Fall of the Southern Kingdom

_Intense Violent Situations-all of which may not be suitable for some_

_audiences. You have been warned._

**CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO**

**"**_Fall of the Southern Kingdom_**"**

Thanks to Ezlo's protective magic, the forests of Hyrule and Holodrum were easy to navigate. They were a great deal better prepared in the desert this time (now that Farore had her own cloak, Brittany didn't have to worry about getting another case of Desert Fever). And though the riding wasn't as hard as it had been on their trip out of the land they were still making good time because of Ganondorf's knowledge of shortcuts.

Before she knew it, a week had passed by since they had left Hyrule. Traveling had been a great deal quieter ever since Ezlo had awakened as a Sage. The girl sighed. It just seemed so odd to not hear the cantankerous imp spouting off at the mouth every five seconds. Truth be told, she was actually beginning to miss the old geezer. And she wasn't the only one.

"Vaati," Brittany looked over at the mage, "are you alright?"

The lavender-haired Hylian did not seem to hear her. Instead, he just walked along beside of her and stared down at the medallion in his hand. A sad smile crossed the girl's face. Even though Ezlo had given her the medallion, she had not the heart to pry it away from Vaati. As she watched the youth rub his thumb over the glistening green disc, she felt a bittersweet sadness well up inside of her.

She sighed once more and looked ahead. The sun was beginning to set over the Desert Wastes, but she saw that Ganondorf was making no attempts at stopping for the night. No, they were far too close to the Southern Kingdom to safely do so. She knew the Gerudo prince planned on sneaking them around the compound without getting caught and it would be far to risky to camp until they had passed it.

Of course, getting captured again wasn't the only trouble plaguing Ganondorf. Brittany noticed that the proud, haughty look of the desert monarch had been long replaced by a seemingly permanent scowl of anger. He and the rest of the group had developed an unofficial truce that no one should bother him-with the waves of rage flowing over of him, Brittany certainly wasn't about to be the first to break that agreement. She honestly didn't want to see the hellfire he would rain down on the traitors once he got hold of them, let alone anyone that happened to annoy him before then.

"How much further?" complained Farore. The Empath looked up to see the green-haired girl slumped against her horse's neck.

"Not much longer, Farore," Brittany assured her.

"But the trip went so much faster the _last_ time we were here!"

"Last time," Vaati said coolly, his face not turning from the medallion, "we were running for our lives! And you, if I am not utterly mistaken, were asleep during your transport to the Southern Fortress."

Farore cocked her head at the mage's tone of voice but said nothing. Brittany shot Vaati a _'why-are-you-being-so-rude' _look, but the Hylian merely ignored the two of them and dropped the medallion into a tiny wallet tied to his belt. The brunette was about to question the youth's behavior when she heard the whinny of a horse and a strangled cry.

"_By the Great Goddess...!_"

Brittany and her friends snapped their heads up to see the Ganondorf had stalled his horse at the top of a sand dune. Without warning, the Gerudo prince shot off down the sands, leaving the remainder of the party bewildered. Brittany and Vaati raced forward, with Altair loyally following the Empath like a puppy. Link and Zelda rushed in behind them.

Faint tendrils of smoke were curling up from inside the giant fortress. It wasn't until Brittany noticed that the minaret tops of the palace were gone and a strange blackness had lapped at its stone foundation that she realized what had spooked the warrior. She darted down the hill after Ganondorf.

As she drew closer to the desert kingdom, her nose was met by a foul stench. The reek burned into her nostrils with a sort of putrid rank that recalled a memory of her old realm to her. She'd been a hunter and had grown up around hunters, so the stench of death was well known to her. But this...this _odor_ was too horrible to come from an animal's carcass. She had to cap her hand over her nose just to breathe!

"Oh...my...Lord..."

The Empath was overwhelmed by the stink that poured out from the city. The sheer magnitude of the smell sent the contents of her stomach spewing onto the charred ground. She hugged her midsection as the waves of the horrible stench wrenched the remnants of her breakfast from her body.

Retching could be heard behind her the moment her friends arrived.

"Goddesses, what is that reek!" she heard the princess cry out.

"You and Farore stay outside, Zelda! Don't come inside for any reason!" Link shouted. Brittany vaguely heard the whinny of the Hylians' horses through her gagging before she felt her hair being tugged back. A comforting hand began to rub between her shoulder blades.

"Brittany," Vaati coughed, "are you okay?"

She nodded weakly. Vaati helped her to stand and she stumbled over to the archway of the fortress. The mage uncorked his canteen and offered her a sip, which she gladly took. Brittany quickly swished out what raunchy taste she could and spat the water away before handing the bottle back.

"Where's Ganondorf?"

"I don't know," the girl wheezed. "He was gone by the time I got here..."

Vaati patted her on the shoulder. "You stay here with the girls while Link and I go look around." Brittany shook her head.

"No way...I'm going with you," she protested, grabbing at her head with one hand and wincing. "Something's not right here, and I've gotta find out."

The mage nodded as the girl struggled to a normal stance. Brittany was still trembling from losing her lunch, but with nothing left for the stench to bring up she felt well enough to press on. She looked up the road that ran through the city. All of the buildings were charred and most had caved in. Mysterious stains and slash marks claimed a few of the walls. Bits of the pueblo clay used to fashion the dwellings had actually _melted_ from the extreme heat of some anonymous fire. Even the ground was blackened from the spent inferno.

The trio headed up the main road. An eerie silence surrounded them, but they were to perturbed to break it. Now and then, a board holding up one of the remaining ceilings would snap and debris would crumble onto the ground. The few buildings that had managed to remain standing they entered and searched.

"Didja find anyone?" Link asked after a fruitless search. Vaati shook his head.

"All I found was some melted glass from a beaded curtain. And you?"

"Nothing."

The duo heard footsteps and looked up to see Brittany exiting a dwelling. "I just don't understand it!" the girl thought aloud. "There's not a single villager left..."

"Well, I highly doubt they sent the whole population-children and all-after us," Link replied. "Could they have cut their losses and relocated?"

Brittany put a hand on her chin. "I don't know...there's a strange presence here. And what about that smell?"

"It could be the horses," Link said. "I mean, if they really did leave in a hurry, sacrificing a few animals in exchange for freedom..."

The Empath was not sure what to believe. Fearing for the lives of her two Gerudo friends and curiosity over the strange emotional silence and smell got the better of her. She headed out across the scorched fields toward the oasis, carefully scanning the landscape for any sign of life. As she walked further, the girl began to question the possibility of an attack. The fields had been torn up as if something had gone after the sparse crops, and the marks and brown stains on the houses worried her. It wasn't until they reached the oasis that she panicked.

"Oh, good Lord," Brittany pinched her nose shut, "that _smell!_"

She pointed out over the water. The once clear water was now a grungy color from a great deal of debris and sand that had been chucked into it. The bodies of several horses lay in the muck-their mouths open and eyes wide in horror. Brittany noticed something in the water and carefully edged her way toward the bank.

"Be careful, Brittany!" Vaati warned. The girl found a broken spear laying on the shore and picked it up. Using the end of the staff, she prodded something sticking up out of the muck. She grunted as she gave it a little shove. Finally, there was a sickening gurgle and the object floated to the top.

Brittany let out a gasp and jumped back, slipping in the mud in the process. The Hylians rushed over as she scrambled backwards up the bank. They helped the distraught girl to her feet as she pointed a trembling hand at the water.

"Brittany, what is-oh, my _GODDESSES!_"

Vaati and Link's eyes fell upon a severed arm floating atop the oasis' surface.

"It's an arm-an _arm!_" the girl screamed, her face contorted in terror. "My Lord...I knew...I _**knew**_ what I sensed! That feeling," she shrank back with her hands gripped in her hair, "it's the same as when the Helmaroc was about to die!"

The color emptied from the Empath's face as she bolted around the bank, her feet kicking up sprays of the grimy muck as she went. Brittany tore across the last half of the fields in a frenzy-her mind only on one destination. She reached the courtyard and darted past Ganondorf's horse and up the stairs. She leapt over the cinders the feasted upon the doors and darted inside.

A few moments later, a blood-curdling scream echoed across the Desert Wastes.

Vaati had never seen anyone run so fast in his entire life. Hell, it took all he and Link could do just to keep up with their manic friend! From the moment he walked into the city, he had a feeling that something had happened to the Gerudo. That's why he tried to get Brittany to stay behind with the girls. Now, with blood spatter upon the buildings and an arm floating in the tainted oasis, his hypothesis had proven correct. He had wanted to spare the girl the horrors he was sure remained so he pushed himself as fast as he could after her.

After all-there was only one place left in the whole kingdom that they had not checked yet.

Ganondorf's warhorse stood outside of the palace ruins. Vaati watched in desperation as Brittany flew up the stairs and sailed over the remnants of the doors. The moment he and Link reached the top step, the screams emitted from inside the palace told him he was too late to stop her.

Vaati raced through the blackened foyer, his eyes sweeping across the blood-streaked floor. It looked as though someone had butchered someone and drug the corpse through the corridor. It wasn't until he saw the sunset-lit (thanks to the now nonexistent roof) throneroom and the trembling body of the Empath that he realized just how true his prediction was.

Brittany's face was so devoid of color that it was nearly the shade of the imp's. The roof had caved in, giving her full view of the pile of bodies that had been torched in the center of the chamber. Flies buzzed among the remains of charred, bloated flesh and blackened bones. Huge splashes of now dried blood marked every stone not marred by the blaze. And the _**stench**_...

Vaati walked up to the trembling girl.

"Brittany..."

"No..."

"C'mon," he said as he approached her, "let...let's get out of here..."

The moment he touched her shoulder, she shrank back and started screaming again. Her body began jerking in half, causing her to lose her balance and fall onto some of the bones. The horrified girl let out a shriek and started flailing about, her eyes wide with immeasurable fright. She scrambled for the wall and began clawing at the rocks in a blind frenzy-her gaze never leaving the mound of carcasses.

Vaati ran after her. He did his best to try to pick her up but to no avail-Brittany was fighting tooth and nail to get away. She kept tearing at the air so he could not even get close. The horrified maiden landed a particularly hard blow on the imp's jaw, sending him reeling backwards.

"Dammit," the mage shouted, "not now!"

"She's having a full-on fit! Grab her, Vaati!"

The two boys had to wrestle the young woman just to take hold of her. Finally, Link managed to grab her legs so Vaati could slip around behind the maiden and lock her arms. They practically had to drag the young woman-kicking and screaming-out of the palace. Her flailing caused Vaati to lose balance as he neared the last steps and they plummeted to the ground.

"Brittany! Brittany, stop it!" he tried to grab her wrists but she was jerking too badly for him to reach them. Desperate, he wrapped his arms around her from behind in a crushing embrace and locked her arms that way. Using every ounce of his strength, the mage clung to the fighting girl as she used her remaining energy to kick at some invisible enemy. He held tightly as she jerked and tried to send what healing magic he could into her body.

It took a lot of his strength to do so but he finally calmed her down. He sighed as he heard her crying.

"Shhh...it's okay," the mage said as he struggled to sit up with the girl. "It's okay...it wasn't your fault."

His heart ached as sobs tore from her throat. "They're gone...Malon will never see her mother or sister now..."

"It wasn't your fault, Brittany..."

"Yubira was my friend..."

"I know...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."

Vaati leaned his head against the Empath's and sighed. Moments later, he heard some footsteps upon the palace steps. He looked over as Ganondorf and Link appeared. Brittany looked up at the Gerudo prince for a long moment before hanging her head in shame. Vaati looked at the somber warrior as he mounted his warhorse and headed back towards the oasis. Once Brittany managed to stand, the rest of them followed.


	53. Remembrance

**CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE**

**"**_Remembrance_**"**

No one talked about what happened in the fortress. The solemn grimaces of Brittany and the guys staved off any questions the girls may have had. For the next few hours, they rode without a word. Now and then, Vaati (who was sharing a horse with Zelda at the time) would look over at the Empath with a forlorn expression on his face. Brittany, however, just sat as straight and proud as Ganondorf-even going so far as to match the prince's stoic .

They didn't bother to stop that night. They saw no reason to since the death stench lingered so far over the desert. The next day was hard on them but it didn't seem to matter-they were too exhausted to even sleep. By dusk of the next day, however, the horses were so spent that they were forced to make camp.

Link dug out some biscuits and passed them around to everyone. Ganondorf and Brittany preferred to sit off alone from everyone else, and it worried him. Finally, one person out of the group couldn't take it any longer.

"I can't stand to see anyone like this," Vaati announced.

"Me neither!" Farore joined in.

"But what are we supposed to do?" asked the knight. "They've been like this ever since..."

"I know!" shouted the mage. "Don't you think I don't?"

"Calm down, Vaati," Zelda softly spoke. The lavender-haired swordsman sighed.

"I apologize, Princess. It's just..."

The noblewoman smiled. "I know. We all hate seeing anyone like that." Zelda gently clasped her hands together. "Why don't you go speak with Brittany? I'm sure it will help you both feel better. It beats sitting around here doing nothing."

Vaati nodded and, with a grunt, stood. He trudged over the moonlit sands after the young woman. It didn't take him long to find her. She sat just below the crest of a rather large sand dune, her back propped against Altair's flank and her arms draped around one knee. She was just staring off across the desert with a blank look on her face.

The mage walked up to her. "Hey, Brittany!"

No reply. Vaati wasn't deterred, though. He clambered up the dune and plopped down a short distance below her.

"I brought you a biscuit," he held out the piece of hardtack.

"No, thank you," she continued to stare out into space, "I'm not hungry."

Vaati sighed. "Brittany, you have to eat _something_. You've already skipped breakfast, lunch, and dinner yesterday. I know you haven't had anything on your stomach since you threw up. Please..."

It was no use. The maiden refused to even look down, but instead turned her head away. Vaati groaned.

"Look," he said, drawing his knees up to dangle his arms over, "I already told you that it wasn't your fault. Subira and Yubira _chose_ to stay-"

"...To buy us time to escape! If it wasn't for us, then they'd still be alive..."

"And Ganondorf would be dead, too, and Farore would be in the hands of some lunatic."

"But, all of those women...and children! There were _**children**_, Vaati! Not a single little girl was spared..._sniff_..."

The swordsman looked up to see moonlight glinting off the fresh tears in the corners of the girl's eyes. Altair gave a small whinny and nudged her shoulder with his nose. Sniffing, the brunette turned and gave the horse a pat. She let out a sigh as she brought the sleeve of her sand-covered coat to her face.

"I think I've got..._sniff_...something in my eye," she said, wiping the droplets away. She gave another sniff before finally looking down at Vaati.

"You know," Vaati threw the biscuit up and caught it, "after Link defeated me, I went back to live with Ezlo. It took a long time before most of the Picori would even give me a second glance. It really wasn't until after I befriended the oracles that life started becoming stable again," he looked at the biscuit in his hand. "I used to wonder why I didn't just die in the forest as a baby, because I thought everyone would have preferred it over what I did to Hyrule. I asked Ezlo one day. And do you know what he said?"

Brittany shook her head.

"He told me that, even though I caused a lot of problems, if it had not been for me, Link would have had no reason to reforge the Picori Blade. And without the Picori Blade, he would not have been able to slay General Onox Gorgon, Veran, and the evil pig-beast Ganon. And, if he hadn't done that, the oracles wouldn't have been saved. And if the oracles hadn't been saved, then the world would have fallen into chaos."

A small grunt of acknowledgement came from the Empath.

"And do you know what else would have happened if the oracles had not come?" Vaati looked up at her. Brittany shook her head.

"No, what?"

The mage smiled. "You wouldn't have come here, Brittany. That's what."

The girl sighed and looked up at the waxing moon. "You know," she began, "my grandmother used to say that everything happened for a reason. She told me that, while the answer may not be clear at first, it would always come out when it was needed. I think I'm beginning to understand what she meant."

The Empath smiled down at Vaati. "Brittany, I know this may be a lot to ask but," he gazed up at her, "will you tell me more about your old world? I only know bits and pieces from what Link, Zelda and the oracles have told me."

"What do you want to know?"

Vaati felt a smirk toying at the corners of his lips. "Well, for starters, why not tell me about how those fits of yours started?" Suddenly, a sad expression crossed the maiden's face.

"I'm afraid it would take a long time to tell you about that," she replied. "It's too complicated..."

"Well," Vaati leaned back against the dune with and arm propped behind his head, "it's not like we're going anywhere at the moment."

Brittany giggled. "You're right. Oh, but where do I start?"

"How about at the beginning?"

She shot the youth a dirty look. "Very funny!" Vaati giggled. She sighed and pulled her other knee up to her chest. "I guess I would need to tell you about my family. I was raised on my grandparents farm in a small rural town that lay at the base of a mountain range. My mother was a factory worker and my father worked for a construction company."

Vaati nodded. She continued.

"I didn't grow up like other children. You see, my mother was a very controlling, religious woman. I was expected to work hard and basically stay out of her way. I'm glad I was a quiet child-I don't think she would have been able to handle a rambunctious one."

The Empath's grimace contorted into a frown.

"I knew I was different. From as far back as I can remember, I could attract animals. They just seemed drawn to me. But that wasn't the only thing. As I grew older, I began to _**sense**_ how they felt. And not just animals, either-I could be walking down a crowded hall and feel intense sorrow coming from a total stranger, while someone I knew could be crying their eyes out and I would feel nothing. I guess that's why I found out about crocodile tears early on."

Brittany sighed.

"Mother, who believed she had this incredible foresight, said that I was a gift from God that was meant to bring the family together. What happened was I became her bargaining chip."

Vaati looked up at her. "What do you mean?"

"Any time she would get mad at my grandparents, she refused to let them see me. I had to turn on members of my own family and complete strangers-ones that had done me no harm, mind you-in order to keep the brunt of her wrath off of me. Not that I wouldn't catch it anyway, but it was just easier to be on her side in the end. She would show me off as this little doll and expected me to behave as such, but my nature prohibited it. She wouldn't let me outside without her, but she was always so tired and angry at one thing or the other that I would wind up shutting myself up in my room. If I mentioned a new friend, she would grill me on practically their whole family lineage and, if there was one person she found fault with, I wasn't allowed to see that person."

It was at this comment that a faint blush of anger crept up on Vaati's face. Luckily, Brittany did not seem to notice.

"And so, I escaped to the world of books and video games. Link and Zelda told you what a video game is, right?"

Vaati nodded.

"Anyway, that's how I learned about Hyrule. It was a game world in my old realm. Din and Nayru said something about memories from one realm traversing the barrier to another...I guess that's what happened. Anyway, I lost myself in fantasies about finding a portal to Hyrule and setting out on an adventure of my own. I even wrote stories about my imaginary quests...until Mother found out. Heh, the old fool thought they were blasphemous because I mentioned 'goddesses' in them."

Vaati looked puzzled. "But, the three Golden Goddesses created our world! How could she-"

"Lemme finish," Brittany piped up. "In our realm, there were a lot of different religions, but ours focused on one God and His Son. I'm what they called a Christian," she smiled. "Anyway, to mother, even _mentioning_ the term 'goddess' was enough to have her bless out my work and get rid of my stories. What she didn't immediately tear up got thrown away. It liked to have killed me."

The mage opened his mouth to speak but the girl cut him off.

"But it wasn't just my stories she had a problem with. My _**body**_ was her biggest problem. She did all but come out and say I was a whale. She was this scrawny little woman who had a delicate body frame while I had inherited my father's stouter build. Of course, being trapped in my room like a bird in a cage certainly didn't do anything for my figure. My body image got so bad that I wouldn't take my coat off because I didn't want her to know how horrible I looked underneath."

She clenched her hands so tightly that her knuckles went white.

"It wasn't until my father left Mother for his whore that the truth came out about my family. Everyone couldn't believe he had cheated so Mother went crazy. One night, she went off and started telling me that everyone had turned on her a second time. When I asked her when the first time was, she said...she said..."

Brittany was trembling all over now. Fearing that his friend was about to go into another fit, Vaati scrambled up the dune and stretched out a hand...but Brittany just stared off into space with a strange pallor creeping onto her face.

"...She was molested..."

Vaati's heart sank as he listened to the girl pour out the rest of her tale. About how nearly all of her mother's family had deemed the act as her fault, and how she had turned to drugs and bulimia to cope. Brittany went on to tell him about the constant arguments she had witnessed and the comments her mother made about the girl's weight. About how her father chose a whore over his own wife and how her world came crashing down around her.

"My first fit occurred a few days after Pops left," Brittany eked out. "I was staying at a friend's house in her basement when I went to sleep. Usually, I was able to push all of the thoughts from my mind by concentrating on some sort of sound-like the chatter of the night animals outside my bedroom window. But there was no sound in that room, and it was pitch black. All of the dark memories about Mother and my family rushed back to me at once and I could not tell if they were real or my imagination. I could feel a buzzing in the back of my head...like I was about to black out. I was so terrified that I would hurt one of my friends that I tried to get away. I crawled over to the wall and groped around for an exit but...I couldn't find one..."

The Empath looked up at the waxing moon and sighed.

"I panicked and thrashed about. That's when the jerking started. I was trying to keep my body conscious so I wouldn't black out," she let out an empty laugh and shook her head. "I must have made a lot of noise, because my friends came running in with a light. I wound up telling them what happened and they tried to calm me down, but I spent the next five hours jerking in half. By morning, my energy was spent."

She turned to Vaati. "But that was back then. I stopped worrying about blacking out after a month, but the fits became involuntary and unpredictable. The jerking only lasts for a few minutes now, so I don't get as drained as I used to. But the nightmares started sucking out what energy I gained from sleep," she shrugged. "I guess it's a good thing I'm naturally hyper-I have energy to spare for the few fits I still have."

Disgust washed over Vaati. _How can she so nonchalantly talk about this as though it's the most normal thing in the world? My Goddesses...what have they done to her...?_ The imp balled his hands into fists, his glare icing over. Unfortunately, his friend had not yet spoken the worst.

"The fits started coming more and more frequently. I tried to hide them the best that I could. I would go hide in my room until they subsided, but eventually Mother figured something was wrong and threatened to take the lock off my door if I did not open it. We...we got into an argument because I didn't want to have anything to do with Pops when he came back, but she said we needed the money. I...I was so torn that...I had one in front of her...and all hell broke lose. She started screaming at me to stop acting like a baby, then shouted for Pops-who had just walked back inside. They tried to block me in the room by sitting in the doorway. I freaked out and lunged over them, then ran through the house and nearly tore the door off its hinges to get outside. Unfortunately, Mother came after me and started shouting stuff about how big of a coward I was and that I was just doing it to break them. I...was forced into the vehicle they took to the next town. For the next hour, I sat between them-crying-as Mother and Pops talked over me."

Brittany sucked in a shuddering sigh. A tiny, barely audible afterthought escaped her lips.

"You...never forget...such things," she said. "When the people who are supposed to love you turn on you, what else _**can**_ you do? You try so hard to find forgiveness but you no longer..._feel_...enough to do so. Your emotions get suppressed because you don't want..."

The girl's words began to hitch in her throat as if she were about to cry, but nary a droplet fell from her eyes. Her pale, expressionless visage mimicked the barren face of the moon: cold, stoic, and empty. Most anyone else who saw the maiden would assume she was merely thinking-not Vaati. No, after seeing the usually spunky and energetic side of his friend torn apart by the horrors of both the massacre and her own inner demons...

...it was almost to much for him to watch.

"You do not want what, Brittany?" he asked. The brunette was silent for the longest time, now and then open her lips to speak but suddenly closing them (almost as if she could not decide what to say). Finally, she gulped in a deep breath and let out a stream of hushed words.

"I...did not want to believe that my family could be so...so _**evil**_," she said. "If I agreed with my father, it would be turning on my mother and saying that I consented to what he did. And if I went along with the majority of my family, I would be just as horrible as that wretched _thing_ that hurt Mother. But I could not go along with her no matter how hard I tried!" Brittany reached up and wrapped her hands in her hair. "Nothing...nothing but SPITE ever came from that woman! I tried to feel love for her but...it _**hurt**_ so badly..."

Suddenly, her body relaxed from its stiff, trembling form.

"I guess," she spoke, refusing to look towards Vaati, "you think I'm a freak now, don't you? An indecisive, cowardly weakling spawned from a cesspool of wickedness and hypocrisy..." a despairing sigh escaped her lips. "I understand if you cannot bare to even look at me now, let alone talk to me..."

Brittany felt the mage's eyes on her, baring down on her with a crushing glare. Was he judging her like her family had? Did he hate her for being weak? She had not feel the urge to cry when her family turned on her, but the thought of Vaati doing so brought tears bubbling up in her eyes. With each passing minute of silence the feeling of dread in her chest tightened.

After a long, tense moment, Vaati stood.


	54. Acceptance

**CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR**

**"**_Acceptance_**"**

A moment later, Vaati's feet could be heard shuffling in the sand. Brittany's breath hitched in her throat as a pair of comforting arms wrapped around her. A voice, soft and troubled, whispered in her ear.

"How could you ever think that I would think you were a freak?" Vaati rasped. "I can't believe...all of this time, you have had to deal with such horrible memories on your own!"

The mage's words became increasingly anger-laden. Brittany could feel the fury surrounding her and could only imagine the rage blazing in the his already flame-colored eyes.

"Vaati..." she choked out. "How can you even stand to be near me after what I did? I turned on members of my own family for Mother and I got what I deserved-"

"The hell, you did! That was your Mother's fault. And your father and the rest of your family had their own agenda, so how were you to stop it? Or what happened with the Gerudo?" the mage sighed. "Brittany...no matter how hard you try, you cannot control the actions of everyone around you. No matter what, they will only follow their own hearts," he lowered his voice, "even if their hearts are tainted with darkness...I should know."

Brittany wiped her eyes and struggled out of the hug. Vaati sat back and looked at her.

"Whatever evil person you think you are, I assure you that those are false assumptions."

"But, how can-"

"-I say that?" Vaati giggled emptily. "I _**was**_ evil, remember? When I was under the influence of Ezlo's wishing cap, that darkness contorted my heart and made me do things that I shudder to remember," he cast his eyes down. "If anyone is a monster here, it is me."

"No, you're not!" the Empath burst out, causing Vaati to snap his head up. A flood of harried emotions raced through her wide, impassioned eyes. "You're one of the bravest, most caring people I have ever met! You may have gotten mixed up in a lot of crap before, but you are most definitely not the same person you led yourself on to be-"

The mage reached out and put a finger to Brittany's lips. "And neither are you, Brittany," he smirked. "Listen, why don't we start over? After all, you are in a new land, so why not?"

"But..." she looked out across the desert. Vaati gently cupped her face and turned her gaze back to him.

"If you are worried what they shall think, do not fret. After all, if they were to judge you because such awful things happened to you, then they would just judge you on something else. And you and I both know that our companions are not like that."

"Vaati..." Brittany's eyes glistened over. She threw her arms around Vaati's shoulders and pulled him into a crushing hug. "Thank you so much..."

Vaati seemed a little surprised by the gesture but returned the embrace. "Does this mean you feel better?" She pulled back and nodded. Vaati smirked again and pushed himself to his feet, then helped Brittany up. He glanced out across the dunes toward the camp. "You know...now that you are cheered up, maybe you could go talk to Ganondorf? None of us can seem to reach him, but perhaps you may..."

And with that, Vaati left. Brittany stood and watched him walk across desert for the longest time. She let out a sigh before heading out herself. The Empath slipped around in the sands for a bit until she spotted the familiar dark figure sitting down off from the group. Ganondorf had reclined back against the flank of his warhorse and seemed to be staring off into space-much like she had been.

Upon noticing the Gerudo prince, she sucked in a deep breath and marched over to him.

"Ganondorf? May I speak with you?"

The armor-clad man looked up at her and, with a grunt, nodded. Brittany walked over and sat a small distance away from the man (she knew he'd want as much space as possible if he was ever to talk).

"What brings you over here, Little Heroine?"

"I was...kinda worried about you," she admitted. "We all are."

Ganondorf snorted. "Worried? About _me?_ Whatever for?"

Brittany shook her head and sighed. "Look...there's no use in acting all macho and everything."

"Oh?" the prince raised an eyebrow.

"You might be able to fool others with that proud look of yours, but not me. I know you're angry and you feel betrayed," Ganondorf let out another empty chortle, "but I also know how gravely the loss of Yubira has fallen upon you. You...you really cared for her, didn't you?"

Ganondorf's expression once again became a stoic mask. Brittany growled.

"Damn," she sighed, "you're as stubborn as I am! You cannot admit that you cared for her because you're too afraid to drop that protective mask of yours!" The prince turned and glared at her, but she glared right back. "Don't gimme that look! I know you could crush me like a bug if you wanted, but I no more fear you than anyone else, so you may as well get over yourself!"

The desert warrior was taken aback by the young woman's bold outburst though he did not show it. However, his eyes betrayed him, so he turned from the young woman. When Ganondorf realized what he had done, it bothered him. Not even his own mother could make him turn away like that!

He was Ganondorf, the powerful prince of the Gerudo, a warrior of unparalleled strength..._fearless!_ Normally, no one could withstand even a few moments in his prescience without cowering in fear...besides Yubira, that is.

...Or was. As much as his battle-hardened exterior tried to cover it, his steely heart cringed at the memory of that smiling maiden. They were an odd pair, that was for certain. Awkward would be more like it. Ever since childhood, they had been total opposites: the tall, stoic-faced brute with the bubbly, catlike girl bouncing around at his side. And yet, Yubira had been the only true confidant Ganondorf ever had. While the young thief could charm her way out of anything, she had an unrivaled lust for action...and a tender heart seldom found in the hook-nosed women of the desert.

And try as he might, it was the bearer of that heart had captured his own. Of course, he would never had admitted that, but he found himself time and again uncharacteristically doing things that would put a smile on that young woman's face. As they got older, it became increasingly harder to keep that secret. Thankfully, Yubira was too naive to realize his motives and his own intimidating power prevented any other Gerudo from getting-or, at least, spreading-any ideas.

But now, Yubira was gone. It felt like a fire-hot spear had pierced his heart. And, because of the stubborn pride he had lived with for so long, he was left alone to wallow in his grief.

"Ganondorf...look at me."

The dark prince realized his foolish mistake and focused his gaze on the brunette. Instead of the look of triumph he expected from her being able to shame him into looking away, he was met with a soft yet firm expression. _Concern_, thought he. The very thought burned at the pit of his stomach.

"You may think you can hide your feelings, and that may be true for everyone else," Brittany spoke, "but not me. You see, Ganondorf, I can sense strong emotions-be they worn on the sleeve or hidden behind a mask, like yours. I can do this because I am an Empath."

Ganondorf's eyes widened.

"An Empath? There hasn't been an Empath alive in Hyrule for centuries!"

"I know that!" Brittany said. "But who said I'm from this world?"

At that, the Gerudo looked like he could have crapped bricks. Surely, she jested! However, seeing the serious look on her face caused doubts to form.

"Another world? How can that be?"

Heaving a sigh, Brittany spilled out the story she had once told Link and Zelda, how she came to go on the journey and what had occurred in the forest. Ganondorf listened and grew more bewildered with each passing moment.

"I see...so the oracles rescued you and brought you here to use your power to find a key that the other oracle," he nodded his head toward the camp, "spoke about in a vision."

"That's right."

"And this world...is part of a game?" he asked. "Okay...I'll buy that. But what I _don't_ get is why we haven't heard of this world you came from."

Brittany shrugged. "I'm not too sure about it myself. Din and Nayru said that thoughts and place memories pass between worlds. I guess the destruction and horrors in my world were too much for anything but some books here. It's a world ruled by science-not magic."

"I see..."

"I'm surprised you are taking the game-thing so easily, Ganondorf."

The dark man smiled. "It makes sense to me now why you weren't afraid of the Gerudo. And why all of this magic doesn't seem to affect you."

"It's still a little odd, though..." replied the maiden. "I mean, healing potions and all. If we had that back in the other realm, there wouldn't be so many diseases and such."

"But if we had more of your technology, fewer people would go hungry or die in childbirth."

"Still," she looked up at the sky, "I like this world better. It feels so much...purer, somehow. I never want to go back there again."

Ganondorf nodded. "I don't think I'd like your world much, either. Traveling around in machines? No, thank you," he said as he gave his own black stallion, who was sitting behind him, a pat on the neck. "Horses are the lifeblood of the Gerudo, and I wouldn't dream of trading of my companion here for a cold, lifeless hunk of metal."

Brittany sadly cast her eyes down.

"You...loved Yubira, didn't you?"

Ganondorf had not expected that question. Now not even his stoic mask could hide his shock.

"I...saw it in the way you looked at her, heard it in your voice, and...and sensed it in the grief and fear at the fortress. I know how much you cared for her, and I know also of the deep hatred you have for the slaughterer of your kin. I assure you now that I will help you find those bastards."

"...No. I cannot allow it."

Brittany's eyes narrowed on the dark man. "You have no choice! They were my friends, too!"

"They were Gerudo, my people. I was their leader and yet I could not protect them. It is my duty to avenge them."

"Same here! Or did you forget that I am a Gerudo now, too? You said so yourself! Even vouched for me at the ceremony! Do you revoke your oath and dishonor yourself, or do you save face and hush up about it? I'm gonna go whether you want me to or not, so you may as well just get over yourself now."

Needless to say, Ganondorf was more than a bit surprised at the young woman's insolence. A bit amused, as well. He chortled in his throat, then patted the young woman on the head and ruffled her hair.

"You are correct. You completed the Rites of Passage ceremony back at the fortress. I suppose that makes you the only remaining member of the Southern Kingdom."

Ganondorf paused briefly on the word 'last', as if trying to hide how painful and furious it must have made him. Brittany bowed her head in humble acceptance before standing. She glanced over the moonlit desert with a sad smile.

"Perhaps we should get back to camp. The others will be worried."


	55. Caught!

**CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE**

**"**_Caught!_**"**

Vaati's ears twitched at the sound of scuffling sand. He and the others whipped around in the direction of the noise to find their missing companions making their way back to camp. Ganondorf and Brittany walked over to the small circle, their horses following, and sat down.

"You have a very odd friend," the dark prince motioned toward Brittany as he took a place between Link and Vaati. The latter wizard gave a strange glance up at the Gerudo. "I've seldom met such an insightful mind, and never in one so young."

The group turned to face Brittany. "I told him about my being an Empath," she said, electing a small gasp from Zelda and protective looks from the boys. She merely shrugged. "He was going to find out anyway! It may as well have been from me. Besides, we're all in this mess together-we all may as well know where we're coming from and what abilities we can contribute."

"Indeed," Link nodded, "we need a good battle strategy."

"I agree," seconded Zelda. "After all, with something so destructive running around all over the world, preparation should be first and foremost."

Brittany sighed. "I guess we may as well get everything out in the open," she suggested. "Ganondorf knows how I got here, too."

The Gerudo grunted in agreement.

"Alright! We have a bowman, a knight, a strongman, a mage, an oracle, and an Empath," the brunette pointed to each person on her verbal list. "Ganondorf, because of his strength, should make good use of close-range combat. And with Link's skill with the sword, no one should be able to penetrate our front lines. Now, I'm a novice swordswoman myself and I have the advantage of hand-to-hand combat, so I can take care of the middle line and switch to the front when Link gets tired."

"Right!" the two men spoke.

"Now, Vaati..." Brittany turned to the Picori-turned-Hylian. "You've got a lot of skill with a blade but your offensive magic can double for long-range attacks. Would you mind a position in the second row alongside me?"

Smirking, the mage nodded.

"Good. Now that leaves the back row. Zelda!" she turned to the princess. "You can cover us from behind with your bow. That should take out any enemies that give chase. Plus, we need someone back there with Farore."

"I wanna help, too!"

Brittany smiled. "Farore, you have the most important job of all: protecting that book," she put her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"But I wanna _**fight!**_"

The Empath shook her head. "No, you are too precious to lose. We have more than enough fighters, as is."

"But...what if a really big, really bad enemy comes along? Or if we get surrounded?"

"Here."

The group turned around to see Link digging something out of one of the horse's saddlebags. He took out a small pouch and a slingshot, then dumped them into Farore's lap.

"I found these on one of my journeys. This slingshot helped me bring down the sorceress Veran, your sister's kidnapper. It has never failed me," he pointed to the various seeds that the oracle dug out of the pouch, explaining each one and its purpose as they came to it. "You can even use pebbles and other small objects as ammo. Now, should the situation arise, you can use this to defend us. Okay?"

Beaming, Farore hugged her precious treasure to her chest and nodded vigorously. Link looked over and gave Brittany a wink. She smiled in unspoken agreement over Link's gift.

"Alright, Farore," the maiden commanded, "you are now our look-out! Now, why don't we all get some shut-eye? I doubt much of anything is gonna attack us out here in the middle of the desert, so one person at a time can take watch. Link, you first."

Not long after Vaati took watch, he was alerted to another of Brittany's nightmares. He, himself, was still quite drained from their nearly non-stop journey over the past couple of days, but the thought of the horrors the girl's nightmares might hold after seeing the massacre of the Southern Gerudo sent him scurrying to her side. Once more, he found himself placing his hands over her cold, sweat-covered brow and muttering a spell of healing.

Either the nightmare was particularly bad or her mind was building up resistance to his magic, because it took forever for any effect to take place. As his strength flowed out through the magical aura in his palms, Brittany's frantic jerking and incoherent pleas became worse. Vaati felt his magic begin to tap into his body's energy reserves-making him so weak that he could barely hold himself up. He panted as he felt his ribs and arms begin to drain first, then he began to tremble as the magic reached his legs. But he refused to give up. He held out as long as possible until the maiden ceased her unconscious fit before giving out a weak cry and collapsing at her side.

It felt like hours flew by as he hurried to struggle to his knees, though it could not have been more than a few moments. Every fiber and sinew in his body screamed from exhaustion, but he refused to let anyone find out about his going against Ezlo's wishes. He was beginning to learn just why his former master had forbade him from using magic to heal the girl now...

"Vaati!"

In horror, the mage looked up to find four worried...well, two worried faces, a hysterical-looking Farore and a stoic Ganondorf looking down at him. _He had been caught!_

"Dammit it, Vaati!" Link swore softly. "What in the hell do you think you are doing?"

The sorcerer panted out his reply. "What does it _look_ like I'm doing?"

"But, Vaati," Zelda piped up, her face wrought with terror, "Ezlo told you not to help her when she has those fits!"

"Do you think I could just sit by and watch?" he barked as loud as he could in his raspy, hushed voice. "Night after night, just helpless to watch her suffer alone in the one time of day when she should be at peace? Huh?" Vaati gazed down at his supine friend, his eyes mixed with fear and anger. "I can't...I can't stand to see her in so much pain. To hear those terrified whimpers and do nothing...that very sound pierces me to the core..."

Ganondorf raised an eyebrow, then closed his eyes and nodded. His thin lips pulled into a wicked smirk.

"You care about her, don't you, young man?"

"Of course, I care about her!" Vaati hissed. "She's my friend! How could I not-"

Vaati struggled to his feet with the help of Link and Ganondorf. The knight shook his head.

"I guess we know why you've been so tired lately," he piped up. Vaati said nothing. "Dammit, Vaati...don't'cha think Ezlo had a good reason for his advice?"

"Besides just being a cantankerous old man?" the mage huffed.

"I'm being serious!" Link snapped. "How do you expect to fight if all of your magic is gone, huh? Hell, you're too weak to even hold a sword! Say something happened to the rest of us. In your state right now, do you honestly think you could hold your own _AND_ protect Brittany?"

Vaati fell silent. He hadn't thought of that. The thought of some monster taking hold of the brunette and his being able to do nothing about it sent a chill up his spine. And right now, he couldn't even stand without help.

"Vaati...I know it's hard for you to watch her suffer like that, but please," Zelda chimed in, "try to understand. We all hate that she must suffer like that. No one deserves such a horrible fate, especially after all that she has been through. Please, _please_, Vaati...we must ask that you not do that again."

The sorcerer growled. "Forget it, princess. I took an oath the day we started this journey that I would find a way to heal her heart no matter what. I WILL protect her, no matter what the cost!"

"Then do it to a lesser extent!" Farore beamed. The others looked at her like she had grown a second head.

"What do you mean, Farore?" Vaati asked.

"Why, just use enough magic to heal _part_ of her nightmare. That way, you won't be worn out so much and she will still get some rest."

"But..."

"Vaati...it's the only choice you have," Zelda added.

The mage's expression soured. "Fine! Just..." he sighed. "Just don't tell her what I've been doing, okay? I don't want her to worry."

"Alright, I promise."

"Same here," Link said.

Ganondorf let out a muted chortle. "If she finds out, it won't be through any of us."

Vaati smiled. "Thank you all..."

"Here, you go get some rest," Ganondorf said. "I'll take watch now."


	56. Dilemna of the North

**CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX**

**"**_Dilemma of the North_**"**

Brittany was thankful to finally wake up the next morning. Nightmares had plagued her most of the night. Even after the worst ones had died down, she could still hear the screams of her now-deceased friends haunting her mind. Never was she more grateful to Vaati for getting her up early.

Still, the Empath could not help but notice that something was amiss. Most of the group seemed to have dark expressions on their faces every time she turned around. The only ones that didn't were Ganondorf and Vaati. Of course, the Gerudo was just his usual sober self, but Vaati seemed more than a little clingy around her.

Not that she minded, though. To tell the truth, she found herself secretly smiling every time she caught the mage looking in her direction. She would never have admitted it to anyone, and scarcely believed it herself, but there was just something about the mage that made her feel...safe. Brittany was glad that Farore switched over to Zelda's horse so she and Vaati could ride together. She jumped a little when he first put his arms around her waist so he wouldn't fall off of Altair, but she found herself enjoying the ride more and more. It seemed like the horse sensed it, too, because he would gallop a bit at random just enough to make his movements so unpredictable that the mage was too afraid to let go of the maiden.

And that's how the next few days of the ride went. For some reason, Farore seemed to switch to every horse but Altair. Even when Brittany offered, the green-haired girl refused, saying she had to ask one of the others a question. And Vaati didn't exactly volunteer to leave...

Brittany was grateful for the company, though. The mage made a good travel companion. As the steed traversed the desert sands, they shared stories about growing up. As it turned out, they had a lot more in common than they thought. Both of them were the only children to their families and respected the oldest male in their families the most (Brittany her grandfather and Vaati his teacher, his only family). And they both had grown up to be outcasts.

As she let her own stories slip from her lips to mingle with the mage's, she found herself growing a great deal more attached to her companion. Neither one was alone for very long throughout the rest of the journey. Vaati had even taken up sleeping on the opposite side of Altair at night just so he and the maiden could talk some more. For the first time since they started their journey, Brittany found herself falling asleep with a smile on her face knowing that she had someone special to her to wake up for.

About the sixth day out, the Northern Kingdom came into sight. It was a natural fortress, as the whole kingdom had been constructed out so far in the desert that no one who didn't look for it would not have known about it. A deep trench cut out across the desert from the center of the giant city and ended at the mountains in the now not-so-far-off distance.

"So this is the Northern Kingdom..." Brittany spoke up. She noticed a grave expression on Ganondorf's face. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"The river...it's bone dry!"

The Empath blinked. "You mean it isn't naturally dry?"

"No! Never in my life has the River of the Great Goddess been devoid of its crystalline waters!" the dark prince scowled. "I fear something may have happened here as well. Little Heroine, do you sense...?"

Brittany sat still for a moment. "Ganondorf, I do sense something eerie about this place, but nothing like at the burned fortress! No...these people are most assuredly alive."

Relief appeared on the Gerudo's face. "Thank the Great Goddess for that. Come," he nudged his horse on, "let us see what has happened."

Entering the Gerudo kingdom felt like traveling back in time to the Empath. As Brittany followed Ganondorf through the streets of the city, she noticed a grand building that rose above the rest. And, unlike the tiny clay-and-sand dwellings of the common Gerudo, this structure had tall alabaster columns surrounding the entrance. The building itself looked like something out of ancient Egypt or Persia to the girl.

"Is that the palace?" she thought aloud. Ganondorf gave a grunt.

"It's the powerhouse of the Northern Kingdom and the center of all commerce here. And," he went on to say, "my home."

The Empath gave a weak smile at his words. For someone as big and powerful as Ganondorf, she really had never thought of him as a person to have a permanent home. I mean, the guy was a giant, for heavens sake! It was difficult to imagine the dark warrior as the domestic type, even if he was really a prince. She ventured a guess that was the reason why he stayed out on trading voyages so much.

Ganondorf stopped at the bottom of the exterior staircase. Before he even got off the horse, half a dozen Gerudo came running up to him.

"Lord Ganondorf! You're safe!" shouted one.

"We knew you were alive!" called another.

"By the Great Goddess, nothing can defeat our prince!" cried a third.

"Ladies-_ladies!_" the man held up a callused hand, immediately bringing the frantic chatter to an end. "I'll ask the questions here! What happened to the river?"

One of the Gerudo bit her lip as the others looked downcast. Finally, the oldest of the group spoke up.

"Perhaps it would be best you speak with Her Highness, your mother the Queen."

Ganondorf gave a curt nod to the women and told them to take care of the horses. Then, after Brittany and the Hylian group had dismounted, he led them up the flight of stairs and through the grand halls of sun-bleached alabaster stone. After following the worry-driven man to the center of the palace, they came at last upon the very heart of the Northern Kingdom:

The throne room of the Gerudo Queen Mother, Ganty.

It was obvious to Brittany who the sovereign was the moment the Empath walked into the room. A long sleeveless gown of brilliant white cascaded down her frame in waves of satin. Over that was draped a small robe of spider web-thin material-much like curtain lace-that was clasped at the waist with a thick vermillion belt. A topaz crystal the color of the desert sand was centered on the belt's buckle, and a matching teardrop claimed the center of the thin tiara that wrapped around her forehead. Golden bangles garbed her wrists and one of ankles, and two orange commalike crystal earrings marked her rounded ears.

But even without the crown, it was plain to see who Ganondorf's mother was. The queen had striking red hair (which, unlike her son's, was tinted with gray and fell down along her back with two thin braids allowed to fall in front) and deep olive-brown flesh. And, rather than warming her throne like a normal ruler, she was pacing about with a deeply engrossed look etched into her shapely brow. She looked up with piercing acid-green eyes the moment her son stomped into the room.

Immediately, the woman flew to the giant and clasped her boy in a hug.

"Ganondorf, my son..." she sniffed as she eventually pushed herself away from the embrace. "You...you are alive! When we received word from one of the villagers of the Southern Fortress of rebellion and the attack, I feared I had seen the last of you..."

"Mother," the desert man spoke, "I have grave news. Please, sit down."

He calmly led the queen to the throne and had her take a seat. He explained how Ruella's dastardly plot led to the capture of the youngest oracle, how he and his companions came to be imprisoned, their grand escape, the happenings in Hyrule, and the mysterious massacre at the Southern Fortress. As his tale progressed, the ruler gripped the arms of her throne until long after her knuckles had gone white. Eventually, she hung her head and, in a soft voice, spoke.

"I see...so the entire southern population was decimated..." she put a thin, witchlike hand over her face. "And the Grand Vizier and her daughter...?"

Silence overtook Ganondorf for a moment. "Murdered and burned with the rest, I suppose," he said in a gruff voice. The queen pushed herself up from the throne and, turning away from her son, held onto the back of the chair.

"To think it really happened...Great Goddess, an entire half of our people..."

The Queen clamped a hand over her face and her bony shoulders began to shake with sorrow. Ganondorf stepped up and placed an oversized hand on her shoulder.

"Mother, I know this news has come as a grievous blow," he said, "but we need your help. Do you have any idea what caused the attack?"

Sniffing silently, the monarch straightened her shoulders and shook off her sadness. Brittany could feel a surge of anger emanating from the woman the moment she turned to face her son.

"As a matter of fact, I _do_. One of the villagers managed to get word to us in her final moments. Apparently, after you and your companions escaped, she snuck back to her own abode with a falcon she smuggled out of the aviary. She quickly wrote about the rebellion and...Kiln."

Brittany raised an eyebrow. "Who is Kiln?"

Ganty turned around to face the maiden. "I do not know. At some point during the fortnight trading voyage, Ruella had begun to associate with a strange man in dark clothing. He was always cloaked, so no one precisely knew just who he was. All we _do_ know is that he is powerful...enough to command a whole fleet of monsters."

"_**Monsters?**_" came a simultaneous outburst from each of the companions. The Gerudo woman nodded.

"Yes, that is correct. Apparently, he just appeared to the caravan one day saying that he could grant the Southern Fortress enough power to take out anyone who opposed them in exchange for the green-haired oracle called Farore."

At the mention of her name, Farore shivered. "Why me?"

The Queen looked down at the girl. "Then you are she?" Farore nodded. "I see...I do not understand exactly why Kiln wished to have you captured, just that he ordered Ruella to do so, and she in turn ordered everyone else to watch you once you were kidnapped. But, I digress..."

"You say you knew who killed the Southern Gerudo?" Vaati narrowed his brow.

"Not who-_what_. Kiln possessed with him a vast army of moblins, all of which were taller and stronger than any that the messenger had ever seen. In her final moments, the woman wrote that the bloodthirsty moblins had ravaged the fortress-slaughtering all in their path. I suppose she barely had time to release the falcon before the moblins fell upon her, too."

Brittany shivered. _So, _moblins_ were the reason behind the massacre..._She remembered Link and the others vaguely speaking about the pig-beasts before, and knew what they were from her old video games. But for an _army_ of them-and seriously mutated ones from the sound of it-actually being able to bring down the entire Gerudo stronghold...

He blood chilled at the thought.

"Mother, do you know what happened to the river?" Ganondorf asked.

"About a week ago, it just dried up," she said. "I sent an envoy to check out the source, but they were never seen again. And now, at night, we can hear strange roars coming from deep within the temple," the woman hung her head. "I've lost enough brave warriors...but without water, the rest of my people will soon perish."

Brittany clenched her fists at her side. Suddenly, she stamped her foot and began to shout.

"No, they won't!"

The Queen Mother eyed the brunette. "Oh? And who are you to say such things? If a dozen experienced Gerudo could not destroy whatever monster is in the temple, what makes a Hylian so sure she can?"

"I'm no Hylian!"

Ganondorf smirked. "She's right, Mother. This young woman," he motioned to the girl, "was recently inducted into the Southern Kingdom during the Rites of Passage ceremony."

The woman stared at her son. "A Hylian as a Gerudo? My son, are you certain she has the capabilities to be one of us...?"

"Hey, I'm right here!" she boldly announced. "And for the last time, I am not a Hylian! See?" The Empath pulled back her cloak to reveal her ears.

"I suppose you must have Gerudo blood, then, for no one else has rounded ears but our kind. Still, you are the palest desert child I have ever seen..."

"Mother, this young woman killed the Helmaroc with just a sword! She rescued Yubira, saved a young Holodrum child, and has already fought against a dodongo. Trust me-she IS worthy enough to be the last Gerudo of the Southern Kingdom. And," he looked to their companions, "she is not alone. We have Link, the hero of Hyrule with us as well as the markswoman known as Princess Zelda."

"A knight and a Hylian royal getting involved in Gerudo business? What absurdity..."

"Not to mention the oracle Farore and the wizard Vaati."

At mention of the latter, Ganty's interest peaked. "Vaati? Was that not the name of the sorcerer who tried to take over Hyrule several years ago? I thought he was dead."

Vaati shook his head.

"Well, then..." she looked around the room. "If you are all serious, then go ahead. My hands are tied as they are. If the river is not restored soon, it wouldn't matter if I sent the rest of my people to the temple or not. But," she looked up at the dark prince, "Ganondorf, you are my only son. I know that the special mark granted to your right hand has given you great strength, but you are only human. Please be careful."

"I will, Mother."

Ganty turned to the others. "The temple is located at the base of the mountains not far to the north of here. It was built as both a tribute to the Great Goddess and a shrine to our ancestors. Just follow the river and you cannot miss it."


	57. Temple Trouble

**CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN**

**"**_Temple Trouble_**"**

It was nearly nightfall before the temple came into sight. As the gang rode along the dry riverbed, Brittany became unusually silent. Vaati noticed that she began to lag behind and leaned his head against hers.

"No rest for the weary, huh?"

"It's either that or a permanent rest for the remaining Gerudo!" hissed the Empath.

Vaati sighed. "I didn't mean to upset you, Brittany." This evoked a weak smile from the rider.

"I'm not _**upset**_. It's just..."

"You want to make up for the deaths of the others, don't you?" the wizard whispered. He lowered his head to her shoulder and wrapped his arms a little tighter around the girl's waist. Vaati thought he felt his friend take in a sharp breath. "I know...I've felt the same way about Hyrule, Brittany. Not a day has gone by that I haven't regretted the choice I made back then," he turned and murmured in her ear, "but neither of us can change the past, no matter how much we want to."

"And all things happen for a reason," she sighed. "I _know_, Vaati-I know! But, that still doesn't..."

"Make the pain go away?"

Brittany scoffed. "Will you stop finishing my sentences already? Sheesh, it's getting annoying."

Vaati giggled and leaned back. "And ruin my fun? Nuh-uh. It has been the only amusing thing about riding through this hot patch of goddess-forsaken land."

"Hey, look!"

The wizard glanced up at the girl's command. An enormous cavern had been carved into the rock by the once-flowing river. Without the two columns on either side of the entrance and the ornamental door piece above them it would not have looked at all like a shrine. Still, once they drew close enough, Ganondorf pulled his warhorse to a halt and climbed down. The others followed suit.

"So...that's the temple we're looking for?" Brittany asked. The desert prince nodded and proceeded inside. A few feet inside of the dark cavern, he pulled out a small tinderbox and lit a couple of braziers on the wall. He pocketed the tinderbox before taking the braziers down and handing one to Link. While Vaati struck up a flaming bauble of his own, the giant unsheathed one of his scimitars.

"We cannot be too careful in this place," Ganondorf warned. "If Gerudo have gone missing in here, we need to be ready for anything."

And so, the warrior began to lead them up to the mouth of the river. As they headed further into the cavern, the space began to widen and catacombs began to appear. Brittany and the others noticed that there were columns with pictures of Gerudo daily life (much like the ancient Egyptian tomb paintings).

"This shrine was dedicated to the Great Goddess," Ganondorf spoke, "by the first women to enter the desert. Legend has it that they were led here by a vision."

"What sort of vision?" Farore asked.

"Their chieftess, the first queen of the Northern Kingdom and my ancestor, was once captain of a great band of pirates," he went on to say. "One night, there was a fearsome hurricane. Her fleet of ships were tossed about in the murky seas as their hope of survival was all but dashed. Then, suddenly, the storm broke-leaving in its place a brilliant white light. The shapeless spirit then told my ancestor that the Gerudo's time as wanderers upon the seas had ended and that it was time for them to have a new place to call their own. And so, the light caused the wind to strike up and blow them to a far away shore. Once they disembarked, the spirit left them a path to follow by using the stars."

"Lemme guess," Brittany piped up. "You used the same path to navigate the desert?"

Ganondorf smirked. "That's correct. After a trying fortnight upon the desert sands, they were led to this very cavern. Once they reached the central chamber, they were met yet again by the same strange light. The spirit blessed their new homeland by causing a rift to open in the ground and a great river to burst forth."

The brazier flickered a bit in the warrior's hand.

"Up ahead there lies entombed the first queen. It is said that her vassals, whom are also buried there, still guard her body even in death."

A deep look of concentration struck Farore's face. Brittany looked down at her.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" the Empath asked. Farore nodded.

"I think that white light I saw in my dream may have been the Great Goddess."

"But who is this Great Goddess I keep hearing about? I mean, I've heard of the Three Golden Ones, but..."

"She is the supreme deity of this world, from whom the Three Golden Goddesses claim heritage."

Everyone stopped and stared at Vaati. Even the stoic Ganondorf had to raise an eyebrow at the young wizard's comment.

"How would you know that?" boomed the prince.

"The Picori have our own legends, too, you know," he retorted. He turned back to Brittany. "Anyway, the Great Goddess-also known as the Goddess of Time to us Minish-would most likely be this world's equivalent to the God of your old realm. I don't know much more than that, except that it was her daughters that helped bring life to the world."

The Empath nodded. Suddenly, someone let out a shriek.

"What is it, Zelda?" Link rushed to the princess' side, sword in one hand and torch in the other. The blond Hylian was cringing.

"Get it off my foot!" she pointed down to a small orange serpent that had slithered a bit too close for comfort. Link quickly flicked the offending snake away with his blade and made a short end of it.

"It's okay, Zelda," he said. "It was just a little rope. No harm done."

"This cavern is famous for them," Ganondorf added. "They were descended from a pair of prize serpents that the first queen kept as pets. They like to stay in the dark catacombs when it gets too hot outside."

Zelda shivered. "I don't care!" she gave a forceful tug on Link's arm, her eyes clamped shut. "Let's just go find the mouth of the river so we can get out of here!"

Brittany shook her head as they all turned and continued up the long tunnel. The further they went, however, the more uneasy she became. It felt as though something was calling to her and not at all in a good way. As that sinking feeling crept up from the pit of her stomach, she tried to stave it off. Unfortunately, the more she tried, the worse the terror got. Her heart began to race and beads of sweat trickled down her forehead. All that she could think about was how she felt the tunnel was leading her friends to the grave.

After what seemed like hours, the passage opened into an enormous cavern. Brittany looked up to see the moonlight peering down from a gaping hole at the top of the dome as Ganondorf slid down into the river basin and made his way to the center of the room. He held his torch high as he looked around the riverbed. Dropping to one knee, he raked a hand across the soil in hopes of uncovering some moisture but to no avail.

"I don't understand it..." the desert warrior growled. "How could a river dry up so quickly? It's as if water had never flowed here at all..."

Ganondorf wasn't the only one concerned. By now, the fear that had taken over Brittany's countenance had nearly sent her into a panic. She tried to remain calm but she could distinctly sense an overwhelming collaboration of anger and grief echoing off the very walls of the chamber. Quietly, she shifted her legs into position and reached for her sword.

Of course, even in the near darkness, Vaati could sense that something was amiss with the brunette. After spending so much time around her, he had finally begun to see the reason behind her unpredictable ways-so much so that he wondered if he wasn't becoming an Empath himself. He turned and looked down at the now frightfully pale maiden.

"Do you sense something?" he whispered low so the others would not hear. Her brow narrowed.

Getting the message, the wizard drew his blade and began to scan the room. His eyes widened to take in the dim light as he recognized what looked like tombs that had been bricked up along the walls. An enormous statue of a goddess in meditation sat at the far end of the room. What appeared to be long, thin, wispy branches stuck up along the bank at the mouth of the riverbed-although, truth be told, the moonlight made them look like bleached-white skeletal hands with the way the twigs twisted up at the top.

Brittany eased her way toward one of the branches until she was a mere arm's length away from it. Vaati followed close behind but was surprised to see the girl step back away from the strange limb.

"These things look _**too**_ familiar..." she thought aloud. "Hey, Ganondorf?"

"What is it?"

"Did the temple have trees growing in it at one point?"

"'Trees'?" boomed the Gerudo as he climbed back up to the bank. "In this cavern?"

"Just answer the question!" she barked. Ganondorf and the three Hylians trekked over to where she and Vaati were standing.

"No, why?" Brittany pointed to the skeletal branch jutting out of the soil in front of her. A cross look appeared on the prince's face as he approached.

"Could those ghastly things have drained river?" Zelda asked.

Ganondorf passed the brazier to Brittany as he drew his twin scimitars. "If they did, then cutting them down should make it flow again!" He raised one blade and let it slice through the air, much to the objection of the Empath.

"Wait!" she shouted, stopping the blow before the limb was severed. "Something is not right here..."

"Was it the dried-up river or the weird trees that told you that?" Link casually remarked.

"Very funny!"

Ganondorf rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Just lemme cut one down, will ya'?" The Empath wanted to protest but she knew the Gerudo was far too used to getting his own way for her to talk him out of it. Instead, she rallied the others back away from the man as he prepared to do his handiwork.

"Just be careful..."

The man let out a sneering huff and raised the scimitar again. Brittany cringed as she waited for something to happen while that 'I've-been-here-before' feeling clawed at her mind.

...But nothing happened. Ganondorf's attack was deflected the moment it struck. Dumbfounded, he glared at the weird branch and tried again. No success. After a third fruitless attempt, the prince stuck his swords in the ground and made a grab to wrench the offending limb up by the roots.

Unfortunately, it was about that time that Brittany remembered where she had seen the mysterious branches before. She screamed, rushing forward to stop Ganondorf from touching the limb but it was too late. The moment his fingers wrapped around the branch, he realized that it was not bark that he had grabbed. Rather, it was more like a bone, which hardened to near steel consistency upon contact. The limb jerked through the behemoth's grasp and caught him by the throat before stretching out to its full height, the prince in its clutches.

Within moments, a bloodcurdling roar ripped through the room as the rest of the limbs pushed down on the ground-causing an enormous mound of soil to rise in the mouth of the dry riverbed. Suddenly, a bone-white object burst forth through the soil, sending a surge of debris flying all around. Each of the arms quickly retracted to their master.

...half-dragging Ganondorf along with them.

Immediately, Brittany and her friends rushed after their captured friend. They scurried down into the riverbed and up to the most frightening monster that any of them had ever seen. The bleached white creature stretched up from a bulbous base in the sand to two wicked heads. Soulless red hollows served as eyes for the bald beasts while their gaping maws awaited a Gerudo supper. Ganondorf swung in the air above as three vacant bony appendages clicked their long talons in the air. The creature stretched up to its full height of a near thirteen feet as the two heads bobbed about.

"What the hell _**IS**_ that thing?" Link shouted.

"No doubt it..." Brittany said, whipping her sword back in preparation for a running strike. "We've a Dead Hand on our hands."


	58. Possession & Power

**CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT**

**"**_Possession and Power_**"**

Another roar rippled through the cavern, jarring the whole chamber and making the group flinch at the sound. Link stuck an arm out in front of the two Hylian girls and shouted.

"Zelda, you and Farore get back while we handle this thing!"

"But you don't know anything about Dead Hands!" Farore yelled as she pulled her slingshot from the sash around her waist. "I do! I can help!"

"We don't have time for this!" the knight barked. "We've gotta help Ganondorf before he becomes monster chow!"

The moment Link spat out the words, the two wicked heads raised up in interest at their Gerudo captive. The desert behemoth clutched at the hand around his throat and glared at the gaping maws that awaited him. As one of the heads drew near, he hauled his foot back and gave it a swift kick across the cheekbone. The first head was thrown back and let out a pained cry, but the second one was undeterred. Its lower jaw dropped unnaturally low and moved in for the kill.

About the time the Dead Hand was ready to make mincemeat of Ganondorf, Farore let an ember seed fly from her slingshot and hit the creature square in a soulless eye. The second head whined and the hand dropped the warrior. Ganondorf hit the ground hard but was up and ready to fight a moment later.

"Nice shot, oracle," he chocked out, rubbing his aching throat. Farore beamed a determined smile and looked back at the monster.

"Dead Hands hate fire," she boasted. Vaati smirked.

"Then let's give it a nice, toasty dinner," the wizard lit up a fireball in his hand, "shall we?"

Vaati and Farore stepped forward and began launching a volley of flames at the Dead Hand while Ganondorf made a break for his weapons. The monster soon grew tired of being hit and turned its clawed limbs upon the heroes, stabbing them down like spears. The duo jumped back just as the ground they had previously occupied was churned up. The wizard jeered at the creature.

"Dammit, we didn't even leave a mark!"

"How can that be?" Farore blinked. "It should be half-dead by now!"

"That sucker's already DEAD!" Link yelled.

"Then fire should have destroyed it, shouldn't it?"

The creature finally wrenched its hands free of the soil and retracted them. Both heads let out a lingering screech as the base began to shift down the riverbed after its prey. Vaati sent another fireball aimed at one of the faces while Brittany practically jerked Farore away by the wrist. As the creature began to pick up speed, it would stab two of its arms toward random members of the group while the remaining two pulled it along.

After a few minutes, Ganondorf returned with scimitars in hand.

"So, how are we supposed to kill this thing?" boomed the prince. Farore just clammed up while Brittany tried to babble out a suggestion.

"M-maybe we have to hit it somewhere! You know-find a weak spot."

The oracle shook her head. "Fire was our last hope. According to my research, the last Dead Hand was seen centuries ago before the Great Flood. Like that dodongo we faced in Minish Woods."

One of the hands nearly skewered the viridiette before Brittany and Vaati pulled her out of the way. Farore screamed as the bony fingers slashed a hole in her poofy skirt. The Empath raced out in front of the oracle, sword readied, while the wizard took his place beside her.

"This makes no sense!" Vaati called out. "Why are we facing monsters that were only seen by ancients?"

Suddenly, Brittany's eyes widened. _The monsters are all derived from ones set during the Ocarina of Time. But why? And why are they so much more powerful than the ones in the game?_

As the skeletal limbs pulled back again, she caught sight of something glinting in the moonlight. Right on the center of the bulbous base was a strange diamond-shaped jewel. For a moment, it did not register to Brittany, but the moment she tried to avert her eyes from the stone she felt a panicking terror wash over her-the same emotion that attacked her when she entered the room, only far more powerful. It was as if the jewel was speaking to her very heart, shouting and ripping at her like her mother's words once had.

Since she was distracted, the Empath failed to notice that the Dead Hand had gotten exceptionally close. Nor did she see the spear-like limbs aimed for her. While the others were backing up and trying to get away from the beast, Vaati saw that Brittany would not budge. He called to her but she could not hear him.

It never even occurred to him how dangerous it was. He just bolted forward as fast as his legs could take him. As the limbs charged down upon the brunette, Vaati felt a pang rip through his chest and a strange energy began to surge up from deep within himself. It was powerful-far stronger than even when the cap had changed him into a demon-but eerily familiar, too. As if he had felt the energy one hundred times before, and yet he had no recollection of ever having such strength before in his life.

But familiar or not, it was that power that drove him on.

The next thing he knew, he was standing in front of Brittany, his arms raised and fingers curled in claw-like fashion. A deep scowl marked his visage as he gritted his teeth and his eyes flared with overwhelming anger. Summoning the strange energy that formed in his chest, he unleashed it in a surge through his arms. The very blood in his veins felt ravaged by a liquid fire as the magic rushes through him, but he didn't care. All he could think about was protecting his friend.

Roaring out a battle cry of his own, he thrust out his arms and released the energy as the Dead Hand's arms came down. An enormous wind filled with a strange purple energy shot out in two gales from each of his palms. The two arms tangled and flew back to their owner while the other two wrenched themselves into the riverbed to hold position. Vaati forced the rest of the power out, causing the monster to uproot and go sailing back-lightly cracking the jewel.

Immediately, Brittany snapped out of her trance as the Dead Hand hit the far bank at the river's mouth. The creature's head began to scream and shake, its arms flailing about at its sides as the jewel on its base began to glow a violent red and spew out a dark cloud of energy through the small crack. Each pair of arms grabbed at one of the heads as the screams intensified and began to change. Suddenly, there was no longer a single monster's call in the air, but rather two distinctive voices laden with fear and overlaid with a bestial tone.

"Brittany, are you crazy?" Vaati shouted, shaking the young woman by the shoulders. "You could have been killed!"

"The weak spot is the jewel!"

Vaati didn't seem to take the information at first, so the maiden grabbed him by the cloak and forced him to look in the direction she was pointing. She turned and hollered to the others.

"The Dead Hand's emotions are centered at that jewel," she barked.

"But Dead Hands don't _**have**_ emotions!" Farore said. "They're just accursed demons with an insatiable hunger for human flesh!"

That's when Brittany grinned.

"That's because it's not a _real_ Dead Hand. That jewel has magic in it that has turned someone else into one. And, by the sound of those two different roars," she noted, "perhaps two people. Ganondorf!"

The Empath whirled around to face the Gerudo. "You are the strongest of us all. While Vaati and Farore distract it with fire, you run in and attack that jewel. Link and I shall take care of the hands while Zelda covers us."

The prince smirked a wicked, blood-lustful grin. Brittany whipped her sword around in preparation for the attack.

"Ready, guys?"

"Let's go!" came the simultaneous reply. Vaati and Farore unleashed a barrage of fire at the heads' eyes while Zelda's volley of arrows pelted their open mouths. The three swordsmen rushed in as the arms switched on the offensive. Link and Brittany dove ahead and clashed blades with the bony spears while Ganondorf plowed straight up the riverbed with scimitars clenched tight in his hands. With one swift movement, the dark prince leapt into the air and sliced both blades down in an 'X' across the jewel-smashing it into shards.

The moment the Gerudo's blades sunk through the gem, a magenta light poured out through the crack. The Dead Hand's arms pulled back and separated to a pair on each side of the body as Ganondorf backed away. The heads lifted up and jerked away from one another, their bony talons curled in painful gesture as they let out one last lingering scream. Then, without warning, the entire creature began to glow with the same light as the jewel.

The group drew back together as the creature got smaller and smaller.

"What's going on?" Zelda asked.

"I...I don't know..." Farore shook her head.

Finally, the jewel burst into shards and the creature split up the middle. The two gleaming halves collapsed onto the ground and continued to shrink until nothing was left but a pair of bodies..._human _bodies. Ganondorf and the others raced forward.

"I...can't believe it...!" Brittany gasped. There, crumpled and beaten but still alive, were Subira and Yubira.


	59. Carmella's Arrogance

**CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE**

**"**_Carmella's Arrogance_**"**

Ganondorf knelt and scooped the younger of the two into his arms. "Yubira..._Yubira!_" he shook the girl. "Open your eyes! Your lord prince commands you!"

The maiden let out a tiny groan and struggled to obey. Her eyelids fluttered open and she squinted up into the darkness.

"Ga...Ganondorf...?" she asked. The prince let out a sigh.

"You're alive..." the dark man sighed in relief, a rare sincere smile crossing his face.

"Subira, are you okay?" Brittany asked, dropping down beside of the Grand Vizier as she dragged herself into a kneeling position.

"Ugh, my head," moaned the woman. "Little Heroine? Is that you?"

Brittany could not help but smile at the sight of her old friends-after all, they were alive! However, upon remembering the fact that they were the _only_ Southern Gerudo left, she sobered up. _That's right..._she thought. _Do they know...? _The Empath hung her head.

"Subira," the girl said with downcast eyes, "do you remember how you got here?"

The bruised woman and her daughter averted their eyes. They glanced over to one another in silent contemplation, then each sighed and nodded. Subira turned back to Brittany with a defeated look on her face.

"When we stayed behind, it wasn't to rally the others in Ganondorf's honor. In fact," she admitted, "my daughter and I were the only ones in the tribe that were still loyal." She turned to Ganondorf and bowed low, her palms clasped before her head. "My Lord Prince, please forgive my lie. I knew that, had I told you that no others remained at your beck and call, your honor would not have allowed you to leave. Our indiscretion was to preserve your life."

Ganondorf unconsciously hugged the maiden in his arms a little tighter to his chest. "So, you and Yubira," he cast a lingering glance down at the younger woman, "really did stay true?"

"We would have laid ours lives down for you, my Lord Prince."

"But that doesn't explain how you two wound up here," Brittany reminded.

Vaati crossed his arms. "Or why you two are injured or possessed."

Link held up his torch and the group began to look over the family. Subira's vest was missing and enormous bruises covered her ribs, and a huge black eye covered the left side of her swollen face. Trickles of dried blood had spilled down one of her temples and nose. But even with all of that, Subira looked in the peak of health compared to her daughter. Nearly every speck of visible flesh below the younger Gerudo's face was covered in deep gashes and enormous, weeping welts. Her lower lip was cut open and her clothes were so badly slashed and bloodstained that she had to cover her torn choli in order to preserve her modesty.

Yet while physical contact must have been pure torture, Yubira was still beaming her usual toothy grin from her place in Ganondorf's clutches. The warrior glowered in a cross between fury and pity as he surveyed the girl's wounds.

"They flogged me but I never gave an inch!" Yubira boasted. Subira nodded.

"Twenty lashes with Ruella's barbed whip and never a sound from her. Like a true Gerudo."

_I guess that's why her lip's busted, _Brittany thought. _She bit down to keep from crying out._

Vaati dug into the pack at his waist and pulled out two bottles of Picolyte. He handed a bottle of blue liquid to Ganondorf and a red one to Subira. The dark warrior nodded and uncorked one of the vials then put it to Yubira's lips. Within moments, Yubira's gashes closed up and her welts flattened out-leaving her not as an invalid, but looking like someone that had taken the clothes off of a corpse. Subira eyed the mage warily, but after seeing her daughter down her bottle and heal so quickly, she swallowed her own medicine in one gulp. Once the vizier's wounds had healed, Brittany pulled her cloak off and handed it to Yubira, who quickly tied it over her damaged clothing like a toga.

"You really are a true sorcerer, Vaati," Subira spoke in admiration. The mage just smirked.

"So, Ruella had you two beaten for double-crossing her. But how did you wind up here?"

Subira scowled. "The man who ordered the capture of Farore showed up. He ordered Ruella to bring us to the throneroom. After we were hauled out of the dungeon, I saw a man in a dark cloak speaking to her daughter. That...and an army of moblins."

The mage gave a nod.

"There was this really big moblin named Krull. His moblin captain, I suppose. He had the strangest black armor on-actual armor, not some half-assed leather jerkin with some metal attached to it like the others wore-and this huge glowing gem dangling from a gold chain around his neck. He kept looking at us and drooling..."

"The cloaked man, whom they called Kiln, took us as prisoners," Yubira said. "As he left the fortress, he gave the moblins the command to destroy the city."

"Those bloodthirsty beasts..." Ganondorf growled.

"So it was _moblins_ that caused the massacre," Link thought aloud.

"'Massacre'?"

The two Gerudo women looked up, shocked. They turned back to Ganondorf, fear in their eyes. The prince sighed heavily.

"The Southern Kingdom has fallen."

All was silent for a few moments. Only the crackling of the torches could be heard resounding in the darkness. When the jumble of heavy emotions got to be a little too much for Brittany, she spoke.

"Subira," she repeated, "do you remember how you got here?"

"No," the Gerudo sadly shook her head, "I must have been knocked out, because after leaving the city I don't remember anything. I know we're in the Temple of the Great Goddess, because I saw Her image at the back of the room. When I awoke, the moblins were carrying us up the river banks. Kiln had them set us down in here with our backs to one another. While the moblins stood ready with their spears, the man pulled a jewel from his beneath his cloak and cast a spell. Then that was it."

_Clap. Clap. Clap._

"How utterly amusing...and you were able to recall all of that with such precise detail. You're more of a storyteller than your daughter, Grand Vizier."

Everyone leapt to their feet as flames rushed around the walls. As braziers wrapped around the length of the wall illuminated the area, the group quickly climbed out of the riverbed basin to find, to their surprise, a figure in a deep purple cloak sitting upon one of the statue's crossed legs. A hood had been pulled over the woman's head, masking her visage, but the Gerudo seemed to know even without seeing her face exactly who the mystery girl was.

"Carmella..." Yubira gritted her teeth. The purple-clothed figure gave a haughty laugh before leaping down from her sitting place.

"So, I see you fools were actually able to break Kiln's spell," Carmella tossed her hood back to reveal a wickedly smiling visage. "I suppose you aren't entirely incompetent, after all."

"Damn you, Carmella!" Subira cried out.

"Traitoress! How could you betray us so?" Yubira shouted. "My best friend..."

Carmella raised an eyebrow. "_Best friend?_ Ha! That is to laugh! The only reason I pretended to be friends with you was to get to Ganondorf."

"Why, Carmella?" the prince growled. "Why did you and your mother-"

Suddenly, the Gerudo began shrieking with laughter.

"You thought that Ruella was my mother...? What a fool you are!"

The others looked at her, shocked.

"What are you getting at?" Subira jeered. Carmella let out a satisfied snort.

"Isn't it obvious, Subira?" she pointed to her face. "Do you not see the resemblance? I am none other than the niece of that blood-traitor you call a queen!"

The two Gerudo women paled while Ganondorf leered at Carmella in rage.

"It's not possible! Mother's sister was exiled from this land after all of her followers had been imprisoned, killed or rallied off to the Southern Kingdom."

Carmella let out a frustrated snort. "Don't I know it," she shook an angry fist in the air. "My mother was the eldest-she should have been queen, and I a princess!"

"Guys, you mind telling me what she's talking about?" Brittany joined in.

"Mother had an older sister," Ganondorf replied. "The two of them grew up trained and respected exactly the same way. During a war many years ago, each of them became regiment leaders when we allied ourselves to the Hylians. We were supposed to attack only soldiers, but Mother's sister got greedy and began plundering villages. When the natives fought back, she had them all slaughtered."

"Yes," Zelda spoke up, "I remember Father once telling me of a regiment that went wrong. While our knights teamed up with part of the Gerudo, some of their mercenaries turned and massacred the villages they were to protect. But that was your aunt?"

"NO!" Ganondorf shouted. "She was disowned after that. In turn, my grandmother, fatally wounded in battle, crowned my mother. However, my mother was too noble to turn her sister out into the street. Instead, she allowed her and some of her regiment to create their own province in the lower half of the Desert Wastes and put the previous Grand Vizier over it as reagent. She was thanked for her kindness by an assassination attempt when she miscarried her second child."

"That's when Subira's mother was killed and she had to come take her place, right?" Brittany asked. Ganondorf nodded.

"My mother had to flee for her life!" Carmella barked. "Because of you, she was forced into an unforgiving world where she was overpowered and forced by one of those pathetic excuses for Hylian soldiers! She gave birth to me in a cave in the middle of the wilderness, alone!"

The cloaked woman's face had darkened over with a fearsome mask, and her brow knitted on the Gerudo.

"When I was three, she discovered that I could use magic. For the next few years, she schooled me in our mission to take back our kingdom. Unfortunately, before Mother could ever put her plan into action, she became deathly ill. She had no other choice but to turn to her childhood friend Ruella-a mercenary who fought against her during the rebellion. However, Ruella owed my mother a blood debt for saving her life when she took to fever. She bade Ruella to take me in and raise me in the stead of her own young daughter whom had just perished from the same fever. By the time I was seven, I was already well on my way to avenging Mother's dishonor."

"But why betray me?" Yubira asked. "We were best friends..."

The traitoress giggled.

"Mother wanted me to move up through the ranks, but in order to fulfill her wishes I needed to take out my opposition: Ganondorf. But getting close to my cousin proved a problem once you," she pointed to Yubira, "started to weasel your way into his heart! My only shot at getting to him came through friendship with you. Why do you think a princess like me would ever be in league with a pathetic commoner like you?"

By now, Ganondorf wasn't the only one furious. Subira had a lethal aura coming off of her, but the worst was Yubira. While tears glistened on her dried blood-streaked face, her teeth were gnashed together and fists balled at her side. Never had Brittany seen such a dark change come over the usually outgoing, hyperactive Gerudo. Yubira flew into a rage and made a move for Carmella, but the prince grabbed hold of her before she could strike.

"But why take the oracle?" Ganondorf barked.

"Even a lack-wit like you ought to know about her magic by now. She and her sisters have powers unlike any other in this realm-powers that Kiln wants. When I first met him on my fortnight journey," the girl smiled to herself, "I knew I had finally met my ally. He had great power himself, but sought more. And the only way to deliver that was by finding Farore. In return, he promised to help me overthrow your worthless excuse for a mother and...he promised me a place by his side in the new world."

Farore whimpered at her tone. Brittany stepped in front of her, an arm protectively outstretched.

"What 'new world'?" Link commanded.

"The one Kiln and I shall build together!" Carmella burst into another fit of laughter as she drew a necklace bearing the same kind of jewel that had once trapped Subira and Yubira out from beneath her cloak. "You see this gem? It's imbued with _his_ magic!"

The Gerudo let the chain fall back to her chest. She closed her eyes and stretched her arms out beside of her as she began to utter a spell. Suddenly, the jewel started glowing and lifted into the air. Carmella opened her eyes and glared evilly at her adversaries.

"Your deaths shall be my wedding present to him!"

A strange glow enveloped the woman and she slowly began to change. Her arms began to retract into the folds of her cloak as her flesh brightened into an orange color. Carmella's dark eyes became a sickly yellow and her pupils narrowed to slits. The mane of fiery hair rose up and hardened into a funneled crest on the back of her neck. Grinning, her mouth stretched out to an unnaturally gaping maw with huge fangs jutting out as her cloak fell away to reveal Carmella's new form. The creature stretched up to its full height on a tail where its legs should have been and gave a hiss. The jewel swung from its chain around her now bulky neck.

"She's transformed into a Queen Rope!" Farore shouted.

Zelda screamed. "I _**HATE **_serpents!" the girl made a sour face and drew an arrow from her quiver. The giant snake flicked her forked tongue at the group and her thin, scaly lips curved into a broadening smile. Ganondorf thrust his scimitars out in front of his two Gerudo followers.

"Take these. I can fight this traitoress bare-handed."

"Yeah!" Yubira gratefully took hold of her prince's weapon and gave a whoop. She and her mother drew back into fighting stances. "Let's make Carmella pay fro what she did to our people!"


	60. INTENT OF REVISION FAN HELP WANTED

**NOTICE OF INTENT**

_REGARDING THE FATE OF THIS STORY!_

To my loyal readers:

As my writing style and some of the parts of this story are so annoying to me that I cannot finish it in its current form, I am REDOING the story.

That's right. I'm revising the whole work, finishing it, and then posting the whole new thing. It may or may not be on this account, but it will have the same title, and I will post a notice upon its completion. I am sorry for the extended hiatus but I originally started this story as writing practice and for stress relief.

_Now_ it's serious business.

I'm revising it to complete professional format. As it is as long as a novel, I am rewriting it as it would be if it were not fanfiction. The following intent will contain references to TV Tropes, which will cut down my explanation and allow you guys to get a better sense of what I mean on your own:

I am cutting down the **Purple Prose**, revising Brittany's character and background a bit, making Brittany herself less **Mary Sue**ish, cutting out the overused italics/capitalization/bolding (who BOLDS words in a novel? Seriously. Think about it, as I didn't.), and maybe even taking out chapters or scenes I see as unnecessary, I have spent the last three days redoing the whole background history for the story, as well as character, plot and symbol notes on how I want everything to go. I had the ending in mind, but now one of the **Big Bads** (which was never hinted or introduced in the current version) is completely different than I had decided. The prophecy Farore introduces is better explained and matches the new background history. There's other instances that weren't explained as well and actions that I've had certain characters do that I would 1.) rather have another character do or 2.) do something else more in-keeping with his/her character.

So now I'm asking all you guys to send me a PM (or anonymous review if you have no account) and answer the following:

1.) What MUST be kept in order to keep your attention? What do you love about this story so much that, if it changed, might diminish or even destroy your interest in it? They can be big or little things.

2.) What do you LIKE about the story that, while if I took it out you would still read it, but that you would prefer I kept in (or put in something similar to it)?

3.) What was confusing for you, or that stuck out to you that you would like me to elaborate on more?

4.) What IRKED you about this story that, if I kept in you would still read it, but prefer I leave ou in the new version?

5.) What absolutely ANNOYED THE HECK out of you that, if I don't get rid of, you might never come back to the fic again?

6.) What would you like to see more of in this fic?

7.) Just jot down anything else you would like me to know about my idea to redo this fic. I'd appreciate knowing what (even if you ahve told me before) drew you to it.

While I'm not guaranteeing everything that you guys choose will be included (I had one person early on in the writing try to get me to turn my fic into a _fundamentalist Christian_ _biblical sermon_. No, I am not kidding. Guy made a second account after he got banned from the first just to insult me and try to run off my readers. You can look in the reviews if you want-he's the only one whose flamed me), I will take it into consideration. I do want to make this into an extremely good nigh-on-professional fic.

As I've already taken artistic license and replaced some ideas in the game/manga canon (such as Link being born with the Triforce symbol in the two Oracle games, instead of acquiring it later when Zelda's Light Force in The Minish Cap went all wacky, or however I had it), I know some of it is a bit odd. But considering that the Oracle games were less popular and I've gone more with some of the manga versions than the game versions with those, it hasn't caused too much fandom controversy (nearly 16,500 hits, 152 reviews and 33 favs WITH a continually growing audience proves that).

So, once again, PleasepleasePlease get in your opinions. More info can be found on my Profile page. Feel free to check in with me at any time-I will let you know how far I've gotten with it.

Thank you all very much for your continued support and the patience of Job.

Sincerely,

ThePenandtheSword


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